Children's Cancer Center: Navigating A Pandemic

10.28945/4753 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 001-023
Author(s):  
Shirley N Morejon
Keyword(s):  
Executive Director ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Tampa Bay ◽  
Support Programs ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
At Home

Patty O’Leary is the Executive Director of the Children’s Cancer Center (CCC). The CCC was founded on the philosophy that when a child is diagnosed with cancer, the entire family is really diagnosed. Patty and team dedicate their service to these families through 24 support programs focused on their emotional, financial, and educational needs. Much of the success of the organization has been driven by Patty’s ability to cultivate relationships with small to medium size businesses in Tampa Bay and Sarasota. These businesses support the Center through sponsorships and direct donations for the four signature events held each year: Golf Madness, The Gelatin Plunge, The Fall Stampede and Wine, Women & Shoes. The recent spread of COVID-19 leading to a statewide “safer-at-home” order placed Patty and her team in an unfamiliarly position of potentially not achieving their fiscal budget due to having to postpone the final two fundraisers for the year.

scholarly journals Educational Needs of Mothers about using Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) at Home During Acute Diarrhea in Children under 5 at Urmia Population Research Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Baratali Rezapour
Keyword(s):  
Acute Diarrhea ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Oral Rehydration Therapy ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Oral Rehydration Salt ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Oral Rehydration ◽  
Children Under 5 ◽  
At Home

Preventable factors such as infectious diseases (pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria), malnutrition and neonatal complications are still the leading cause of child mortality worldwide 1 In 2013, it is estimated that 6.3 million babies born worldwide died before the age of 5, and approximately 9.2% of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases 2, 3 in simple, accessible ways, and effective treatment can reduce diarrhea-related mortality and make hospital admissions unnecessary, and the role of mothers is the most important 4. Since the presentation of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in 1979, mortality has reduced. Diarrhea has had a steady downward trend 5. If mothers who have children under 5 years of age, used correctly ORS, they could easily resolve the problem of dehydration in acute diarrhea 6. Mothers didn’t use correctly ORS because of their Low literacy and lack of knowledge and wrong attitude about ORT7. Some health care workers provide mothers’ required equipments, regardless of their educational needs, and mothers may not use ORS. In this study, health workers identified mothers' educational needs and subsequently they trained them about using ORS at home in acute diarrhea in children under 5 years of age

Educational Needs of Oncology Practitioners in a Regional Cancer Center in the Middle East—Improving the Content of Smoking Cessation Training Programs

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Obeidat ◽  
F. I. Hawari ◽  
R. Amarin ◽  
B. Aburajab Altamimi ◽  
I. M. Ghonimat
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Cancer Center

Frequency of unsafe storage, use, and disposal practices of opioids among cancer patients presenting to the emergency department

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 638-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Silvestre ◽  
Akhila Reddy ◽  
Maxine de la Cruz ◽  
Jimin Wu ◽  
Diane Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Education ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Pain Medications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

AbstractObjective:Approximately 75% of prescription opioid abusers obtain the drug from an acquaintance, which may be a consequence of improper opioid storage, use, disposal, and lack of patient education. We aimed to determine the opioid storage, use, and disposal patterns in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a comprehensive cancer center.Method:We surveyed 113 patients receiving opioids for at least 2 months upon presenting to the ED and collected information regarding opioid use, storage, and disposal. Unsafe storage was defined as storing opioids in plain sight, and unsafe use was defined as sharing or losing opioids.Results:The median age was 53 years, 55% were female, 64% were white, and 86% had advanced cancer. Of those surveyed, 36% stored opioids in plain sight, 53% kept them hidden but unlocked, and only 15% locked their opioids. However, 73% agreed that they would use a lockbox if given one. Patients who reported that others had asked them for their pain medications (p = 0.004) and those who would use a lockbox if given one (p = 0.019) were more likely to keep them locked. Some 13 patients (12%) used opioids unsafely by either sharing (5%) or losing (8%) them. Patients who reported being prescribed more pain pills than required (p = 0.032) were more likely to practice unsafe use. Most (78%) were unaware of proper opioid disposal methods, 6% believed they were prescribed more medication than required, and 67% had unused opioids at home. Only 13% previously received education about safe disposal of opioids. Overall, 77% (87) of patients reported unsafe storage, unsafe use, or possessed unused opioids at home.Significance of Results:Many cancer patients presenting to the ED improperly and unsafely store, use, or dispose of opioids, thus highlighting a need to investigate the impact of patient education on such practices.

scholarly journals Home Palliative Care for Advanced Cancer: PC Can Be Introduced at Diagnosis or at Relapse in Thai Society, Independent of Oncology Service

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 112s-112s
Author(s):  
I. Nuchprayoon
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Palliative Care Service ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Oncology Service ◽  
At Home

Background: Thailand is a resource-limited country with universal health care. Cancer services are available for everyone for free, but the system has been overloaded due to limited number of qualified specialist physicians, nurses, radiology technicians, and growing demand from ageing population. Patients with advanced cancer are often not referred to a palliative care (PC) service until multiple treatment failure. Aim: To provide a better access to PC, we initiated an independent palliative care counseling and home service, focusing on families of patients with advanced cancer. Methods: The families of patients with advanced cancer were referred to our home palliative care service through cancer patient support groups, self-referral or from other physicians. Eligibility for PC was guided through a Thai national guideline of cancer treatment as well as by NCCN guideline. Early stage cancer were excluded from the service and referred to oncology service of patient's choice. For each family, we arranged a family meeting/counseling session at patient's home or a designated place and introduce palliative care as well as cancer therapy options. If the patient choose palliative care, then we provide home PC. Patients are followed at home by home visits, and continually communicated online and by phone. Family members visits palliative clinic for morphine and other medications. Results: In the first 3 years of operation, 53 adult patients with advanced or recurrent cancer and their families were counseled. Fifty chose home palliative care service, exclusively (30) or along with a hospital oncology service (20), while 3 patients preferred life-prolonging cancer therapy. The average age (±SD) of patients were 60 (±16) years. The most common cancers were stage IV or metastatic breast (7), lung (6), colorectal (6), and leukemia/lymphoma (6). The median survival time of this PC cohort was 3.1 months, with 16 (32%) living > 6 months, and 10 (20%) > 1 year. Of 36 patients who had died, 22 (61%) died at home, 13 (36%) at a local hospital, and 1 (3%) at a cancer center. Conclusion: For advanced cancer patients, palliative care can be introduced early and efficiently by PC team and most people would prefer PC. PC counseling may serve as an entry point to cancer care system. For patients who choose early palliative care, it can reduce burden on the existing busy oncology service, while providing satisfaction on patients and family.

Patterns of storage, use, and disposal of opioids among cancer patients presenting to the emergency center.

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (29_suppl) ◽  
pp. 184-184
Author(s):  
Akhila Sunkepally Reddy ◽  
Julio Silvestre ◽  
Maxine Grace De la Cruz ◽  
Jimin Wu ◽  
Diane D Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Education ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Emergency Center ◽  
Pain Medications ◽  
History Of ◽  
At Home

184 Background: Approximately 75% of prescription opioid abusers obtain the drug from an acquaintance. Improper opioid storage, use, and disposal along with lack of patient education may lead to increased availability of the drug for abuse by others. Our aim was to determine the opioid storage, use, and disposal patterns in patients presenting to the emergency center (EC) of a comprehensive cancer center. Methods: We surveyed 113 cancer patients receiving opioids for at least 2 months and collected information regarding opioid use, storage, and disposal. Unsafe storage was defined as storing the opioids in plain sight and sharing or losing their opioids was defined as unsafe use. Results: The median age was 53 years, 55% were female, and 64% were white and 86% had advanced cancer. 19% of the patients had history of illicit drug use and 24% reported that drug abuse is prevalent in their neighborhood. 59% obtained the opioid from their oncologist and 6% believed they were prescribed more medication than required. Of the 113 respondents, 36% stored opioids in plain sight, 53% kept them hidden but unlocked, and only 15% locked their opioids. 73% agreed that they would use a lockbox to store their opioids if given one, 78% were unaware of proper opioid disposal methods, and 67% had unused opioids at home. Only 13% previously received education about safe disposal of opioids. Patients who reported that others have asked them for their pain medications (P = .004) and those who would use a lockbox if given one (P = .019) were more likely to keep them locked. 13 patients (12%) used opioids unsafely by either sharing (5%) or losing (8%) them. Patients who reported to being prescribed more pain pills than required (P = .032), others having asked them for their pain pills (P = .06), being unemployed (P = .07), and those who were unaware of drug take-back programs (P = .06) were more likely to participate in unsafe use. Overall, 77% (87) of the patients reported unsafe storage, unsafe use, or possessed unused opioids at home. Conclusions: A large number of cancer patients improperly and unsafely store, use, or dispose of opioids. More research is needed to determine whether patient education has an effect on minimizing prescription opioid abuse.

TeleTriage at a high-volume specialty cancer center: Aligning patient volume and need with available resource.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2085-2085
Author(s):  
Stutman E Robin ◽  
Jason Napoli ◽  
Erika Duggan ◽  
Danny Joseph ◽  
Eoin Dawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Center ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Patient Volume ◽  
Complete Evaluation ◽  
Urgent Care Center ◽  
Patients Experience ◽  
At Home

2085 Background: The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Urgent Care Center (UCC) functions as the emergency room for MSK. With 23,000+ visits annually, increasing volume and acuity means more days over capacity. Patients experience increased wait times to see clinicians, complete evaluation, and transfer to an inpatient bed. The UCC TeleTriage Program is a remote triage program which aims to align patient volume and need with available resources, improve patient experience, and streamline flow through the UCC. By managing resources more efficiently and expediting initial evaluation, the program promotes timely patient access to care, while maintaining MSK's standard of care. Methods: UCC TeleTriage began July 2018 with the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology service. The Service Nurse refers patients to TeleTriage on weekdays, from 9a.m.- 4:30p.m. The TeleTriage clinician contacts each patient within 30 minutes of referral, takes the history, and determines the initial plan. Patients are directed to a local ER, clinic, or UCC based on level of acuity, real-time GPS, and specific need. For stable patients coming to UCC, TeleTriage focuses on initiating testing prior to registration in UCC. Results: TeleTriage patients have (virtual) contact with a UCC clinician within 30 minutes of referral, whereas non-TeleTriage patients wait 110 minutes or more. TeleTriage patients are discharged from UCC up to 42 minutes more rapidly. TeleTriage patients who receive imaging prior to registration in UCC receive a final disposition up to 93 minutes sooner. About 4% of TeleTriage patients are managed at home. In a small number of TeleTriage patients with severe complications of cancer-treatment, significant morbidity was avoided due to early intervention and coordination of care. Conclusions: TeleTriage patients have contact with a UCC clinician measurably faster than non-TeleTriage patients. Their evaluation is also started earlier. By managing less acute patients at remote sites or at home, TeleTriage can help patients avoid unnecessary travel, (time) expenditure, and hospital contact. TeleTriage patients who come to UCC, spend less time in UCC than non-TeleTriage patients and they discharge faster. By utilizing cancer care expertise, TeleTriage can significantly impact patient outcomes and utilize resources more effectively.

scholarly journals The Hospital at Home program: no place like home

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lippert ◽  
S. Semmens ◽  
L. Tacey ◽  
T. Rent ◽  
K. Defoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Marrow Transplant ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
Home Program ◽  
Pediatric Hematology ◽  
Hospital At Home ◽  
At Home

BackgroundThe treatment of children with cancer is associated with significant burden for the entire family. Frequent clinic visits and extended hospital stays can negatively affect quality of life for children and their families.Methods Here, we describe the development of a Hospital at Home program (H@H) that delivers therapy to pediatric hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplant (bmt) patients in their homes. The services provided include short infusions of chemotherapy, supportive-care interventions, antibiotics, post-chemotherapy hydration, and teaching.Results From 2013 to 2015, the H@H program served 136 patients, making 1701 home visits, for patients mainly between the ages of 1 and 4 years. Referrals came from oncology in 82% of cases, from hematology in 11%, and from bmt in 7%. Since inception of the program, no adverse events have been reported. Family surveys suggested less disruption in daily routines and appreciation of specialized care by hematology and oncology nurses. Staff surveys highlighted a perceived benefit of H@H in contributing to early discharge of patients by supporting out-of-hospital monitoring and teaching.Conclusions The development of a H@H program dedicated to the pediatric hematology, oncology, or bmt patient appears feasible. Our pilot program offers a potential contribution to improvement in patient quality of life and in cost–benefit for parents and the health care system.

scholarly journals Working from the Home Office and Homeschool(-ing): Experiences of Austrian Employees (Parents) in the Time of Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Michal Beno
Keyword(s):  
School Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Working Parents ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
Living Space ◽  
Home Space ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Home And School ◽  
At Home

Due to Covid-19, many working parents are facing new challenges. The aim of this paper is to share their personal experiences and the best recommendations for resolving their difficulties. We summarise their complex thoughts on the subject of the home office in relation to the household, homeschooling and the education of all concerned. In order to address this question, a qualitative research paradigm using WhatsApp as a medium in order to explore the following research questions was used: 1) How are employees able to manage the home office, homeschooling and the household under one roof? and 2) Will WFH and homeschooling disadvantage working mothers more than working fathers? Data were collected from 10 working parents (five males and five females) in Austria. According to coding, four major themes were explored: 1) Compatibility, 2) Work/home space, 3) Work week separation and 4) Suggestions and organisational recommendations. It was determined that at the beginning of the lockdown drawing a clear boundary between the home, office and school environments caused some difficulties. Especially parents with younger children experienced problems of compatibility. Secondly, flexibility and housing in relation to the home-office-school environment was a common topic throughout the interviews. Furthermore, before Covid-19 all participants had a more classic separation of roles. Roles and expectations changed as all the family members stayed at home day in and day out. Finally, in privileged situations (more living space, jobs that could be done remotely or support of the entire family), it was often easier to deal with the current challenges. This pandemic has brought many changes in everyday life and in terms of performing old tasks and new ones. This includes work at home and homeschooling. The obtained data provide important insights into how to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on work, home and school while emphasising the importance of these questions as well as of future research for support and information.   Received: 31 March 2021 / Accepted: 26 May 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

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