Rural cancer care of patients prescribed oral medicines to be explored in new study
A new study led by Monash Rural Health and West Gippsland Healthcare Group aims to look at how acceptable and practical a new supportive care screening, education and monitoring pathway is for rural cancer patients prescribed oral anti-cancer medicines.
The project will be based at West Gippsland Hospital and the research will be led by Dr Eli Ristevski and Dr Michael Leach from Monash Rural Health and Sinead Hickmott, oncology nurse from West Gippsland Healthcare Group. This project is funded by the Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service (GRICS).
According to lead researcher Dr Eli Ristevski, the research focuses on a significant gap in the care provided to cancer patients prescribed this form of treatment.
“At diagnosis, patients receive initial drug information from their prescribing medical oncologist and dispensing pharmacist, but these patients are not routinely linked with cancer care nurses for supportive care screening, education, or monitoring. Supportive care is part of best practice cancer care for people in Victoria, and Australia.”
Dr Ristevski adds, “taking oral anti-cancer medicines can be complex and have many risks. If these risks are not monitored, identified and addressed in a timely and appropriate manner, then patient safety may be compromised”.
Commonly reported adverse effects, such as fatigue, problems with sleeping and memory, nausea or vomiting, and changes in the skin, hair or mouth, can cause emotional distress and negatively impact on patients’ quality of life if they are not detected and addressed in a timely manner.
Co-researcher Dr Michael Leach adds “The market availability of oral anti-cancer medicines has increased dramatically in recent years while, paradoxically, the level of care provided to patients taking these high-risk medicines has remained low.”
This research will be instrumental in developing a framework of oral anti-cancer care that facilitates a formal, consistent referral pathway to provide education, support and monitoring for outpatients at West Gippsland Healthcare Group and, potentially, other health services across Gippsland and beyond.
According to Sinead Hickmott, “Our intention is to care for all patients equally, with a priority to address ‘What Matters’. There is inconsistency in care provided to patients receiving OAMs to treat their cancer diagnosis, this experience is not unique to rural and regional areas. It is my hope that in the future, patients prescribed OAMs will be provided with care that is safe, practical, close to home and maintains quality of life”
Dr Ristevski says,“The knowledge gained from this research project will be used to expand supportive care pathways to more cancer patients and services in Gippsland and perhaps beyond, so that all cancer patients on oral treatments have the opportunity to receive the same care and support.”