Innovation in chemotherapy administration process.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This project was started after patient’s complaints of increased cost burden on patients with increase stay of patient in hospital for chemotherapy administration for 3–4 days, how to decrease this hospital stay and financial burden and how can we improve services to decrease hospital stay and expedite the process of chemotherapy administration. METHODS: A total of 100 patients’ confidential files reviewed from February 12, 2013 to May 15, 2013, patients, who were admitted for chemotherapy administration only in inpatient area and all services timings, were reviewed and documented on sheet named as delays chemotherapy sheet, nine processes timings checked against their benchmarks. RESULTS: All services process timings analyzed and compared with their benchmarks, results of all services timings are nearly close to benchmark except lab test results of patients who were admitted without labs test for chemotherapy administration delays seen in collecting blood sample and sending this sample to the laboratory, significant delay is seen in chemotherapy order entry by physician if patient is admitted after 4 p.m. for chemotherapy administration. Delays also identified in administration of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: After identifying the reasons of delays in chemotherapy administration, improvement and innovation in chemotherapy administration process done which not only decrease hospital stay, but also decrease the cost of chemotherapy administration.