Evaluation of therapy support through a standardized nursing consultation for patients undergoing oral tumor therapy in gynecological oncology within the prospective CAMPA initiative.

PURPOSE: The increase of oral tumor therapies (OTT) poses new challenges in patient care. Within CAMPA (Care improvement for advanced or metastatic breast and ovarian cancer patients treated with PARP-inhibitors), additional nursing support for patients treated with PARP-inhibitors was developed.

METHODS

Additional nursing support (1 year) was evaluated in breast and gynecooncological cancer patients at an academic and a non-academic outreach center. From 02/22 to 02/24, quality of life, contacts, adherence, documentation of drug intake, hospitalization, and adverse events were evaluated, using CANKADO-ePRO and validated questionnaires reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Medical Faculty, LMU Munich. Satisfaction with care was recorded from 03/23 to 02/24. Supporting materials and interprofessional checklists were explored.

RESULTS

The collective (n = 50) included 41 patients with ovarian, 4 with fallopian tube and 5 with breast cancer. Adherence measured by continuous documentation of medication intake was high among patients (78.0%). Quality of life improved from 68.6% to 81.4%, strongly correlating with decreasing numbers of side effects (p = 0.003) (Spearman |ρ| = 0.93). Satisfaction with care was very high (4.97 out of 5 points). 94.6% agreed that nursing consultation was essential for therapy safety compared to the doctor's consultation alone (p < 0.05). The reduction in time and care effort was significant (p < 0.05), having its maximum within the first three months.

CONCLUSION

Standardized nursing consultation was highly appreciated with an important contribution to adherence and improvement in quality of life. Delegation of therapy management to nurses reduces time effort and increases their responsibility, improving interprofessional care at academic and non-academic institutions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry, LMU university hospital, Germany, Healthcare research project, number: 21-0848.