e-Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2020

Improving the quality of care delivery during Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) for patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs): development and implementation of personalised patient planners (PPS) to streamline complex multidisciplinary care. (#369)

Jessica Mercurio 1 , Meredith Cummins 2 , Nadia Corsini 3 , Marion Eckert 3 , Bryan Chan 4 5 , Liesl Altus 1 , Gabrielle Cehic 1 6
  1. Nuclear Medicine, South Australia Medical Imaging , The Queen Elizabeth Hospital , Woodville South, South Australia, Australia
  2. Neuroendocrine Cancer Australia, Melbourne , Victoria
  3. Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, University of South Australia , Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  4. Adem Crosby Cancer Centre, Sunshine Coast University Hospital , Birtinya, Queensland , Australia
  5. Griffith University , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
  6. Allied Health and Human Performance , University of South Australia, Adelaide , South Australia, Australia

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) is a complex treatment modality for patients and their carers to navigate alone. As PRRT is a tertiary/quaternary service, patients are often referred from smaller institutions with potential for confusion due to multiple clinicians and records which may not be easily accessible to treating teams.

Navigating multiple appointments across multiple sites, and ensuring tests and follow-up care is coordinated in a timely manner, can cause anxiety and confusion for patients and their carers. Additionally, timing of investigations and Somatostatin Analogue (SSA) injections are critical for optimal treatment outcomes. These challenges are amplified for rural and remote patients.

Between April 2019 and August 2020, personalised patient schedules (PPS) were provided to all patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms attending The Queen Elizabeth Hospital for PRRT, as a potential solution to address these challenges in coordinating care.

PPS contain a table of key dates including timing of SSA injections, blood tests to monitor toxicity, appointments with other health care professionals (HCP) and upcoming PRRT dates. PPS are inclusive of written information regarding discharge medication, possible side-effects and specialist contact information.  

PPS also provide information to other HCP, many of whom manage these patients infrequently and are unfamiliar with the complexities surrounding PRRT and its aftercare.

Feedback from patients and carers, cancer care co-ordinators and referring clinicians has been positive with improved confidence and compliance regarding timing of medications and investigations. Since implementation, there has been no duplication or errors in investigations and an observed decrease in the number of patient enquiries.

Future directions include formal objective evaluation to optimise PPS content with the broader aim of online distribution across other PRRT centres and NGO’s in Australia and New Zealand.