Journal of oncology practice
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Febrile neutropenia (FN) is an oncologic emergency, and prolonged time to antibiotic administration (TTA) is associated with increased hospital length of stay (LOS) and worse outcomes. We hypothesized that a febrile neutropenia pathway (FNP) quality initiative project would reduce TTA delays for febrile patients with cancer presenting to the emergency department (ED). ⋯ The ED FNP is a significant quality initiative with sustainable interventions, and was able to demonstrate value by decreasing TTA compared to both historical and DA controls in cancer patients presenting to the ED.
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The purpose of this study was to explore concordance between patient self-reports of pain on validated questionnaires and discussions of pain in the ambulatory oncology setting. ⋯ Self-report pain screening measures favored specificity over sensitivity. Asking about pain frequency (in addition to intensity) and reconsidering threshold scores on pain intensity scales may be practical strategies to more accurately identify patients with cancer who have relevant pain.