How Variable Is Our Delivery of Information? Approaches to Patient Education About Oral Chemotherapy in the Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
Justine M Kahn, Uma H Athale, Luis A Clavell and 9 others
PMID 27461368WHAT IT FOUND
Providers in pediatric oncology clinics vary widely in how they teach families about oral chemotherapy.
Nurses and nurse practitioners often do the teaching, but there is no standard curriculum. Most providers adjust their approach based on the family, rather than using fixed materials.
Key findings
01Nurses and nurse practitioners are frequently responsible for patient education about home medications, with 58% of respondents stating RNs alone handle this during clinic visits.
02Teaching practices are highly variable; 44% of respondents reported that primary providers are only sometimes the same individuals who provide education, and 10% stated they are often different.
03Only 25% of survey participants favored standardizing teaching materials, while the majority advocated for protected teaching time or varied approaches tailored to family needs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is a self-report survey of providers' perceptions, not an observation of actual patient interactions or adherence outcomes. Participants were recruited from nine institutions, which may not represent broader practice. The survey does not capture the patient or family perspective on what teaching methods are most effective. The sample size is relatively small (68 respondents).
Declared interests
None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that standardized teaching improves adherence based on this paper. The study only reports what providers currently do and what they suggest might help. It did not test any intervention or measure patient outcomes.