Development and Assessment of the Feasibility of a Nurse-Led Care Program for Cancer Patients in a Chemotherapy Day Center: Results of the Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: The increasing number of cancer patients and inadequate communication in clinics are posing challenges to cancer patients receiving outpatient-based chemotherapy and healthcare providers. A nurse-led care program was proposed as one way of dealing with at least some of these challenges.

Objective: The objectives of the pilot study were to assess the feasibility of the subject recruitment, care, and data collection procedures and to explore the acceptability of this program.

Methods: A pilot study with a 1-group pretest-posttest design was conducted. Five cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in a chemotherapy day center participated. Each patient had a nurse consultation before chemotherapy and received 2 telephone calls after the first and second cycles of chemotherapy. Four questionnaires were adopted to evaluate the subjects' quality of life, self-efficacy, symptom experiences, and satisfaction with care. Questionnaires were completed before the chemotherapy and after the second cycle. The subjects were also interviewed to understand their comments on the service.

Results: The recruitment, care, and data collection procedures were completed smoothly. Slight changes were observed in quality of life and self-efficacy. All 5 subjects were highly satisfied with the care.

Conclusions: The nurse-led care program is feasible and acceptable.

Implications for practice: The effect of the nurse-led care program will be evaluated in a single-center, open, randomized controlled trial. If the encouraging results can be confirmed, it may be an effective approach to improving the quality of ambulatory chemotherapy care. It would also shed light on the development of nurse-led care in other areas.