Reducing 30% of waiting time in the administration of antineoplastic oral drugs in patients with urological cancer.

Abstract

325 Background: In order to reduce waiting time in the administration of oral antineoplastics we participated in ASCO/ECO QTP. We propose the creation of an oncology nursing office, trained to evaluate and administer oral antineoplastic medication. Methods: The waiting times of patients diagnosed with urological cancer and receiving treatment with oral antineoplastic drugs are collected, between their arrival at the hospital and the drug’s dispensation. Waiting times are calculated using a prospective qualitative analysis and we represent the data using SPC graphs such as R-Charts, process maps, Pareto and cause-effect diagram, objectifying, the longest waiting time between the oncology consultation appointment and the entrance to consultation. An oncology nursing consultation, with protocols based on checklists (where the most frequent adverse effects are collected, blood pressure is measured and the corresponding analytical parameters are assessed) is created to facilitate the job and train nursing for the administration of drugs. Subsequently, the waiting times are analyzed again, after the implementation of the nursing consultation and a month after it. Results: Along a period of 6 months (time from when we started the ASCO/ECO QTP course, until we implemented the medical oncology consultation), we have reduced the median time between the patient's appointment to the drug dispensation, from 35 minutes to 5 minutes, approximately a reduction higher than the 80%. One month after the implementation of the nursing consultation, waiting times are analyzed again, and the improvement is maintained. Conclusions: The creation of a specific nursing consultation has made possible to reduce waiting times in the administration of oral antineoplastic drugs, reducing the waiting list and managing to quote 3 more patients each day in medical oncology consultation.