Interdisciplinary Collaboration Of Nurses And Pharmacists In Monitoring Chemotherapy Side Effects In Oncology Patients: The Interprofessional Teams In Controlling Drug Related Consequences In Oncology Patients

Any chemotherapy side effects should be evaluated and medication changed quickly and supportive care should be provided. Research question: This study sought to evaluate the oncology nurses and pharmacists' perceptions of the effect of the collaboration on symptom management, patient trust in the collaboration and treatment communication. Methods: The patients who were receiving chemotherapy (25), nurses (10) and pharmacists (5) were interviewed in a qualitative study at one tertiary hospital. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of patient interviews, the focus group professional notes and field notes from observations. results: perceived improvements in personalized symptom support, early identification of concerns, patient education, emotional reassurance and trust in care team. In addition to time pressures, overlapping responsibilities and communication difficulties. Participants wanted to improve liaison and training between practitioners. These are not reports on actual reduction in adverse events, or increased adherence, but rather, a story of experiences. Conclusion: The results suggest that there is a need for a more formal approach to information sharing between nurses and pharmacists, and that there is a need for a clear escalation process, which could enhance nurse-pharmacist coordination. No computer system or comparative clinical intervention was tested; the clinical decision pathway is suggested and is going to be developed and evaluated. Inference of effectiveness should be tempered by additional multisite studies addressing the feasibility of implementation, the quality of decision making, patients' safety, and patients' outcomes. Further validation is needed for clinical use.