Monitoring the Side Effects of Cancer Chemotherapy with Patients-The Participation of Patients in Cancer Therapy and Sharing Patient Information-

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess patient participation in cancer therapy and the sharing of patient information among the medical care team (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and especially patients). We monitored the side effects of cancer chemotherapy with patients, and developed two support tools: One scored the points of subjective symptoms (fatigue, anorexia, nausea, etc) by patients, and the other recorded objective symptoms (clinical examination data) by pharmacists. It is most important that they attend each patient at their bedside. At this time, the trial was evaluated by questionnaire survey by inpatients receiving cancer chemotherapy (n=15). As a result, all patients (15/15) responded that this trial was necessary. This trial addressed the following: 1) increased communication between patients and medical staff concerning side effects (14/15), 2) increased interest in side effects (10/15), 3) when a patient tells medical staff about side effects, they act on it (10/15). None of the patients felt inconvenienced by scoring every day (0/15), or anxiety about side effects (0/15). Furthermore, all patients (15/15) responded that "participation of pharmacists in cancer chemotherapy" was necessary. This trial revealed no problems and suggested that patients related to the center of medical care. We should be careful in interpreting results of this small sized trial; however, the following conclusions should be reached: 1) introduction of monitoring side effects of cancer chemotherapy with patients, 2) develop communication among the medical care team.