Annual Report 2023
Outpatient Treatment Center
Kiyotaka Yoh, Yosuke Minami, Toru Mukohara, Susumu Okano, Mitsuhito Sasaki, Daisuke Kotani, Miki Kondo, Mieko Yasukawa, Naomi Ito, Kenji Kawasumi, Yoshihiro Iwamoto, Chihiro Nakata, Yasuki Yamagishi, Takahiro Sakai, Takuro Kobayashi
Introduction
The Outpatient Treatment Center is responsible for outpatient chemotherapy (cancer drug treatment). With the basic policy of supporting patients and their families so that they can receive cancer chemotherapy while maintaining the connection between the hospital and home, it aims to promote safe and reliable administration management of chemotherapy. It practices team medical care with doctors, registered nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, and CRCs.
The Team and What We Do
Our team is staffed by one director, five doctors who are members of the management committee, thirty-four registered nurses (including one chief and two deputy chiefs), five pharmacists, one assistant of nurses, and three nursing aides.
The Outpatient Treatment Center operates with a total of seventy-eight beds, which includes five beds dedicated for infusions or blood transfusions. In 2023, the center administered anticancer treatments to a total of 50,997 patients, averaging 210 patients per day (Figure 1). The distribution of patients receiving infusion-based anticancer treatments across various departments was as follows: 13,254 in Gastrointestinal Oncology, 10,359 in Medical Oncology, 7,513 in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, 3,791 in Thoracic Oncology, 2,016 in Head and Neck Oncology, 1,290 in Hematology, and 297 in other departments (Figure 2).
The total number of cases at the Nursing Outpatient Clinic is 3,156. Utilizing patients’ waiting time, we provide support for self-care tailored to their lifestyle, decision-making support, and support for the continuation of treatment.
As a rule, the Outpatient Treatment Center Management Committee meets from 16:30 to 17:00 on the third Monday of each month. They discuss the actual conditions and analysis of the operation status, evaluation of the work, and regular review.
We provide a telephone consultation service (hotline) for outpatients who have received anticancer treatments at this center. Pharmacists and registered nurses, who are experienced in outpatient treatment, offer guidance on addressing adverse events, and answer any queries from patients or their families via telephone. If the issues are serious, they are escalated to medical oncologists. This service, which was initiated in 2008, has seen a gradual increase in usage. In 2023, a total of 3,304 calls were received. The service plays a crucial role in preventing serious adverse events and alleviating patients’ anxiety.
Before initiating new regimens and clinical trials at this center, we conduct staff meetings involving medical oncologists, registered nurses, and pharmacists to ensure the safe and appropriate management of treatments.
Research Activities
At the 21st JSMO Annual Meeting, we presented case reports on the continuation of treatment through the practice of specific actions for patients with esophageal cancer receiving radiation chemotherapy. We also presented our efforts to standardize care methods for skin disorders associated with anti-EGFR antibody drugs at the 38th Annual Conference of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing.
Education
We are committed to developing professionals who can provide appropriate care, enhancing the self-care abilities and management skills of patients and their families undergoing cancer chemotherapy to deal with issues that arise during chemotherapy.
Future Prospects
To operate hospital beds efficiently, we are taking measures to reduce patient waiting times. These include starting guidance to the treatment booth at the same time as reception, cooperation with doctors’ medical examinations, prioritization of medication adjustments, and efficiency through patient participation in adhering to the outpatient treatment center’s reception hours.