Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Jan 2011
Resource utilization and costs associated with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) following highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy administered in the US outpatient hospital setting.
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), common adverse events of chemotherapy, may be associated with considerable healthcare resource utilization. This study was conducted to describe CINV-associated healthcare visits and costs following a first cycle of highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC or MEC). ⋯ CINV visits in the first HEC or MEC cycle were common and costly, especially inpatient hospitalizations in the delayed phase. Strategies to reduce CINV in the delayed phase could reduce healthcare utilization and costs.
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Support Care Cancer · Jan 2011
How do non-physician clinicians respond to advanced cancer patients' negative expressions of emotions?
Patients with advanced cancer often experience negative emotion; clinicians' empathic responses can alleviate patient distress. Much is known about how physicians respond to patient emotion; less is known about non-physician clinicians. Given that oncology care is increasingly provided by an interdisciplinary team, it is important to know more about how patients with advanced cancer express emotions to non-physician clinicians (NPCs) and how NPCs respond to those empathic opportunities. ⋯ Patients expressed emotional concerns to NPCs typically in the form of anger; most emotions were moderately severe, with no statistical differences among types of NPC. On average, NPCs responded to patient emotion with empathic language only 30% of the time. A better understanding of NPC-patient interactions can contribute to improved communication training for NPCs and, ultimately, to higher quality patient care in cancer.
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Support Care Cancer · Jan 2011
Determination of malnourishment in the head and neck cancer patient: assessment tools and nutrition education of radiation oncologists.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate current assessment practices of malnourishment by radiation oncologists among the head and neck cancer patient population. ⋯ Assessment or screening for malnourishment in the head and neck cancer patient should be a routine part of the initial consultation. Radiation oncologists and their medical team, including nutritionists, should use an appropriate nutrition screening and assessment tool in addition to the body weight as an indicator of malnourishment. Nutrition education provided to radiation oncologists should be improved to better communicate the positive effects of nutrition interventions on prognosis.