None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study is investigating the perceived benefit of implementing a nurse led model of care for older myeloma patients undergoing oral cancer treatment. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 65 years or older, you are newly diagnosed with Myeloma or first relapse and are being treated at one of the participating hospitals in South Australia. Study details All enrolled participants will be provided with additional education about the disease and treatment by a specialist nurse. The specialist nurse will also act as a first point of contact during chemotherapy to answer questions and provide additional support to participants as required. Participants will have their medical records reviewed by the specialist nurse and may be asked to complete questionnaires at various timepoints over a 12 month period. It is hoped this research will demonstrate that a nurse led model of care for older patients with myeloma has a positive impact on their treatment completion rates and quality of life during cancer treatment.
Interventions
The myeloma nurse will provide a first point of contact, provide patient education about disease and its treatment, and provide early intervention for adverse events.
The nurse will:
• Initially have regular contact (each chemotherapy cycle ±1 week with patients by phone and/or face-to-face to build a relationship of trust. Anticipated duration of initial contact will be up to 30mins and review/follow up 10 minutes. Formal letters will notify patients of upcoming activities to manage their he
The myeloma nurse will provide a first point of contact, provide patient education about disease and its treatment, and provide early intervention for adverse events. The nurse will: • Initially have regular contact (each chemotherapy cycle ±1 week with patients by phone and/or face-to-face to build a relationship of trust. Anticipated duration of initial contact will be up to 30mins and review/follow up 10 minutes. Formal letters will notify patients of upcoming activities to manage their health (e.g. appointments, blood testing, treatment, and referrals); • Support patients around issues of transport and accommodation (this will be undertaken in additional review sessions of 10 minutes as needed or within initial 30 minute consultation). • Support patients when in the hospital (if required); and • Collaborate with the laboratory research staff regarding patient samples • Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) organisation (The nurse specialist will contact allied health and other members of the team post patient reviews for additional advice if care needs flagged and make additional contact with patient to report advice, outcomes and referrals). The nurse specialist will allocate time each week (approximately 1 hr each day to track patient on electronic medical records and monitor encounters with the health care system). The nurse will have routine review sessions at the commencement of each oral therapy cycle and as needed throughout the duration of the study. QOL surveys (My-POS https://academy.myeloma.org.uk/resources/mypos/) will be conducted at these routine sessions and recorded by the nurse specialist. All hospital presentations will be recorded and if unplanned what contact, if any, was made with the nurse specialist was made prior. Medication compliance will be monitored throughout using a combination of pill counting and routine reminders used in conjunction with personalised treatment schedules. Patient education will include verbal and written, with the provision of patient education resources from the following myeloma.org.au eviq.org.au myeloma.org.uk leukaemia.org.au cancer.org.au
Sponsors
BMS-celgene
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
• Diagnosis of Myeloma according to the WHO (2008) classification, aged 65years and over • MGUS patients progressed to Myeloma needing treatment • Relapsed Myeloma patients needing treatment • Capacity to understand and voluntarily sign an informed consent form • Able to be followed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital/The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Exclusion criteria
• Primary Haematologist does not practice at the Royal Adelaide Hospital/ The Queen Elizabeth Hospital • patients <65 years of age • Any significant condition that would confound the collection or interpretation of data from the study
Outcome results
None listed