Nurse-led follow-up of patients with lung cancer following treatment
Category: Follow-Up and End-of-Life Care
The problem identified
Patients were travelling distances for review at either oncology or surgical clinics. By initiating a nurse-led follow-up clinic at a local district hospital, all patients whether they are following radical treatments with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy or surgery or patients in a palliative setting were seen in a nurse-led clinic.
The intervention made to change the problem
Nurse-led protocols were agreed jointly with surgeons, oncologists and respiratory physicians. Patients are initially seen by the Respiratory physician and plan made for follow-up. Thereafter the lung CNS reviews the patient as per protocol with intervention from appropriate physician if and when required.
How it changed my practice
Since starting the clinic our referral rate to the clinic has ranged from 100-168 patients. As yet the nursing team have not undertaken nurse prescribing but plan to in the near future to enable a more holistic service. We also plan to undertake clinical skills assessment so that patients can be examined.
Resource / Cost implications
Clinics are cancelled if the CNS is on annual leave. The clinic runs on a day when the LCNS visits the DGH so currently has no resource implications.