Targeted Radiation Therapy Patient Education Session, Utilizing 3-D Simulation, to Decrease Patient Anxiety and Increase Compliance

Radiation therapy often causes anxiety for patients and their families, and targeted patient education can potentially decrease anxiety and increase compliance. The introduction of a targeted patient education session within the radiation oncology patient process, prior to the start of treatment, in the form of a patient education session provided by a radiation therapist can potentially decrease patient anxiety, and increase patient compliance. The targeted education session includes an introduction to radiation therapy and the interprofessional team, and the utilization of a 3-D simulation tool to provide an audio and visual experience of what to expect with radiation treatment. Studies from the UK, Denmark and Australia have shown the benefit of an additional educational session utilizing a 3-D simulation tool, for patients with prostate cancer. We recently implemented a patient education session for every patient with prostate cancer at OHSU Tuality Cancer Center, and have received positive feedback from patients thus far. We plan to continue with other patient groups. The sarcoma patient group could benefit greatly from an additional targeted education session, utilizing a 3-D tool. This group has not been included in previous studies and it is expected that patient anxiety will decrease, and treatment compliance will increase. An informal assessment of a session was completed in October 2017, with twenty patients from the sarcoma group. The feedback received identified a gap in patient education for this group, with regards to radiation therapy

The Effectiveness of Patient Education in Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Comprehension for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

In 2016, it was estimated that approximately 1,685,210 new cases of cancer would be diagnosed in the United States that year, and that 595,690 people would die from the disease (National Cancer Institute, 2018) The diagnosis of cancer can greatly affect the quality of life of patients and their families, and patients often experience varying levels of anxiety and distress throughout the diagnostic and treatment process (National Cancer Institute, 2018). Anxiety is defined as fear, dread, and uneasiness caused by stress, which can be caused by both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer (Andersen & Tewfik, 1985). Patient education has been shown to reduce anxiety in a wide range of patients, including those diagnosed with cancer (McPherson, Higginson, & Hearn

Economic models for sustainable interprofessional education

Limited information exists on funding models for interprofessional education (IPE) course delivery, even though potential savings from IPE could be gained in healthcare delivery efficiencies and patient safety. Unanticipated economic barriers to implementing an IPE curriculum across programs and schools in University settings can stymie or even end movement toward collaboration and sustainable culture change. Clarity among stakeholders, including institutional leadership, faculty, and students, is necessary to avoid confusion about IPE tuition costs and funds flow, given that IPE involves multiple schools and programs sharing space, time, faculty, and tuition dollars. In this paper, we consider three funding models for IPE: (a) Centralized (b) Blended, and (c) Decentralized. The strengths and challenges associated with each of these models are discussed. Beginning such a discussion will move us toward understanding the return on investment of IPE

Development of a Longitudinal Curricular Evaluation Framework for Intra- and Interprofessional Teamwork

Objectives: To describe the development and evaluation of a university-wide competency and evaluation framework for intra- and interprofessional education (IPE) teamwork.Methods: Development of the framework was based on existing literature and specific contexts of the schools within our university. Evaluation and program alignment regarding use of the framework were achieved through qualitative interviews with deans of the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy, and focused on how they evaluated student progression towards the university-wide teamwork competency. Interview data were analyzed using classical content analysis.Results: Despite efforts to carefully design the framework, interviews revealed that significant variation exists regarding when and how both IPE and team-based care are taught and evaluated across schools. Common barriers to interprofessional education included variations in teamwork practices across disciplines, scheduling challenges, and lack of resources for implementation. Recommendations for how to align teaching and evaluation activities with the framework are posed.Conclusions: Longitudinally tracking the development of interprofessional competencies within/across health professions schools requires careful planning and collaboration among institutional leaders, interprofessional educators, program evaluators, and students. The information gained from this process provides insights toward implementing future high-quality IPE in teamwork and other inter- and intraprofessional competencies, which may be helpful to others