Research and Scholarship

Fostering Oral Chemotherapy Understanding and Safety (FOCUS) Project: Interventions for Improving Knowledge and Compliance With National Safety Standards

Jessica MacIntyre,(1,2) DNP, MBA, APRN, NP-C, AOCNP®, Rita D’Aoust,(1) PhD, MS, RN,  Deborah Baker,(1) DNP, CRNP, NEA-BC, Ginger Hanson,(1) PhD, MS,  Lauren Gjolaj,(2) RN, MBA, Lawrence Negret,(2) MD, and Daniel O’Neil,(3) MD

From (1)Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland; (2)University of Miami Health System/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida; (3)Yale New Haven Hospital/Smilow Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut

Authors’ disclosures of conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

Correspondence to: Jessica MacIntyre, DNP, MBA, APRN, NP-C, AOCNP® E-mail: jmacintyre@med.miami.edu

Background: Oral chemotherapy drug development and use has increased, and evidence in the literature suggests variability in practices nationally. Thus, there is a need for continuous review of the process of oral chemotherapy administration that focuses on improving adherence to national standards. Objectives: This quality improvement project evaluated provider and staff general knowledge on oral chemotherapy and national safety standards and the implementation and ease of use of an electronic medical record (EMR)-integrated chemotherapy documentation template geared toward improving compliance with national chemotherapy administration standards. Methods: This project utilized a pre-test and post-test design comparing provider and staff knowledge as well as the intervention of a chemotherapy documentation template to assess compliance with national chemotherapy administration safety standards in an academic medical center. Through chart review, 24 national safety standards relevant to oral chemotherapy administration were used to assess compliance prior to and following the introduction of the intervention. Additionally, feasibility, accessibility, and usability of the intervention were evaluated through a validated questionnaire. Findings: Knowledge gained from pre-test to post-test improved (p value of < .001). Additionally, from the 88 charts reviewed, there was a statistical improvement in compliance with national safety standards (p value of < .001). The participants (n = 29) scored the documentation template as above average, indicating overall ease of use and feasibility for continued use.

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