BACKGROUND: A gynecologic cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment may cause significant morbidity, leading to increased distress levels and poorer quality of life (QOL) for survivors. Clinicians have explored opportunities to integrate comprehensive distress management protocols into clinical settings using existing supportive care resources. . OBJECTIVES: The aims were to improve multidisciplinary management of distress using a clinical pathway for gynecologic cancer survivors and to improve patient satisfaction with distress management. . METHODS: This study is phase II of a quality improvement initiative to assess distress using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Patient Related Outcome Measures Information Systems QOL tool and to evaluate the use of a clinical pathway to identify and link gynecologic cancer survivors to multidisciplinary supportive care resources. The data were compared to results from phase I of this study with data triangulation that included medical record audits. . FINDINGS: Thirty-five percent of survivors reported distress scores of 5 or greater. The use of a clinical pathway model for universal distress screening increased referrals to multidisciplinary service teams from 19 to 34, with a 32% increase in social work referrals. Patients appreciated the comprehensive approach the healthcare team used to treat cancer and help improve QOL.
BACKGROUND: A gynecologic cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment may cause significant morbidity, leading to increased distress levels and poorer quality of life (QOL) for survivors. Clinicians have explored opportunities to integrate comprehensive distress management protocols into clinical settings using existing supportive care resources. . OBJECTIVES: The aims were to improve multidisciplinary management of distress using a clinical pathway for gynecologic cancer survivors and to improve patient satisfaction with distress management. . METHODS: This study is phase II of a quality improvement initiative to assess distress using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Patient Related Outcome Measures Information Systems QOL tool and to evaluate the use of a clinical pathway to identify and link gynecologic cancer survivors to multidisciplinary supportive care resources. The data were compared to results from phase I of this study with data triangulation that included medical record audits. . FINDINGS: Thirty-five percent of survivors reported distress scores of 5 or greater. The use of a clinical pathway model for universal distress screening increased referrals to multidisciplinary service teams from 19 to 34, with a 32% increase in social work referrals. Patients appreciated the comprehensive approach the healthcare team used to treat cancer and help improve QOL.
Entities:
Keywords:
distress screening; gynecologic cancer survivors; supportive care services
Authors: Lari Wenzel; Israel DeAlba; Rana Habbal; Brenda Coffey Kluhsman; Diane Fairclough; Linda U Krebs; Hoda Anton-Culver; Ross Berkowitz; Noreen Aziz Journal: Gynecol Oncol Date: 2005-05 Impact factor: 5.482
Authors: Michael Frumovitz; Charlotte C Sun; Leslie R Schover; Mark F Munsell; Anuja Jhingran; J Taylor Wharton; Patricia Eifel; Therese B Bevers; Charles F Levenback; David M Gershenson; Diane C Bodurka Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2005-10-20 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Floortje K Ploos van Amstel; Sanne W van den Berg; Hanneke W M van Laarhoven; Marieke F M Gielissen; Judith B Prins; Petronella B Ottevanger Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2013-03-01 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Luigi Grassi; Christoffer Johansen; Maria Antonietta Annunziata; Eleonora Capovilla; Anna Costantini; Paolo Gritti; Riccardo Torta; Marco Bellani Journal: Cancer Date: 2013-02-19 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Phuong Khanh Morrow; Anita C Broxson; Mark F Munsell; Karen Basen-Enquist; Carol K Rosenblum; Leslie R Schover; Lynne H Nguyen; Limin Hsu; Lilibeth Castillo; Karin M Hahn; Jennifer K Litton; Danielle N Kwiatkowski; Gabriel N Hortobagyi Journal: Clin Breast Cancer Date: 2013-10-25 Impact factor: 3.225
Authors: Donatus U Ekwueme; K Robin Yabroff; Gery P Guy; Matthew P Banegas; Janet S de Moor; Chunyu Li; Xuesong Han; Zhiyuan Zheng; Anita Soni; Amy Davidoff; Ruth Rechis; Katherine S Virgo Journal: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Date: 2014-06-13 Impact factor: 17.586
Authors: Pandora Patterson; Fiona E J McDonald; Kimberley R Allison; Helen Bibby; Michael Osborn; Karen Matthews; Ursula M Sansom-Daly; Kate Thompson; Meg Plaster; Antoinette Anazodo Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2022-05-06