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Implementing a one-day testing model improves timeliness of workup for patients with lung cancer.
- Source :
-
Current Oncology . Oct2019, Vol. 26 Issue 5, pe651-e657. 7p. 1 Diagram, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Background Patients with lung cancer often experience stressful delays throughout the diagnostic phase of care. To address that situation, our multidisciplinary team created a “Navigation Day,” during which patients partake in a single-day visit that comprises nurse-led teaching, social work, smoking cessation counselling, symptom control, and dedicated test slots for integrated positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT), pulmonary function tests (PFTS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. We evaluated the effects of that program on wait times and patient satisfaction. Methods Patients with a suspicion of lung cancer on chest CT imaging referred during 3 time periods were reviewed: 1 year before launch of the Navigation Day, 1 year post-launch, and 2 years post-launch. Patients were further stratified according to concordance of their test date with a Navigation Day date. Mean wait times for pet/ct, PFTS, and MRI brain were calculated for each group. Patient satisfaction was measured using a standardized provincial survey. The Student t-test and analysis of variance were used to assess for significance. Results After implementation, mean wait times in the first year improved to 9.2 days from 15.5 days for PET/CT (p < 0.0001), to 9.6 days from 15.7 days for PFTS (p < 0.0001), and to 10.2 days from 16.0 days for MRI brain (p < 0.0001). Patients who used a dedicated test slot experienced the shortest wait times, at 5.8 days for PET/CT, 5.8 days for PFTS, and 6.3 days for MRI brain (p < 0.0001). Those improvements were sustained at 2 years post-launch. Patient satisfaction in the categories of assistance, emotional support, and clarity remained high post-launch. Conclusions Navigation Day significantly improved the timeliness of diagnostic testing services in patients with suspected lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 11980052
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Current Oncology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 139483274
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3747/co.26.4827