If you didn’t know that cancer patient care needs improving, try being a patient for 24 hours during a busy period. Although hospital patients should be the number one priority for healthcare professionals, an influx of staffing issues and burnout has led to long wait-times and negative experiences across the board, demonstrating how essential it is that we learn from the current downfalls and work to better them. Before moving onto three key cornerstones for improving cancer patient care, however, we should start by talking about why patient care needs improving as a whole.
In the US alone, a recent survey found 76% of Americans couldn’t say they’d had a positive patient experience. Why? Well, the list could be endless. And what’s worse, 60% of the respondents in the survey had an outright negative experience. We’re sure all of us can say we’ve not had the best time with the healthcare system.
From overworked receptionists to the average 2 hours 25 minutes wait time in the emergency room, people know that the healthcare system is faltering, and it’s patients that are suffering more than anyone.
This is especially true on the cancer ward. Because their health needs are more intense, oncology patients need more personalised care, yet they often receive the same treatment as other patients. Why? There’s not enough staff to give them the care they need. Patients going through a cancer treatment journey encounter numerous obstacles – a fact that is not at all fair considering how much stress they have to deal with already – so how can we improve patient care? Let’s look at those three cornerstones to make a clearer understanding of how patient care can be improved and maintained.
Embracing Technological Innovations
First of all, healthcare systems must embrace technology to improve patient care. For some reason, the healthcare system in the US is behind on this. Apparently, 6% of hospitals still rely solely on paper systems. The remaining are hybrid or totally digital, and they still experience issues.
Let’s just say, it’s not practical to change an entire ecosystem and hope that everyone understands it. However, adopting technological advancements can streamline healthcare delivery and enhance treatment outcomes.
In cancer treatment, this can include anything from precision medicine that tailors therapy to the individual genetic profile of a patient’s cancer, using medical scribing rather than toiling through various notes – subsequently reducing documentation burdens for health professionals – to digital health platforms that facilitate remote monitoring and consultations.
Prioritizing Patient-Centered Communication
Patient-centered communication is different to patient-centered care, and for cancer patients, it’s particularly important. Because it’s easy to feel like just another number. Cancer patients have unique needs and preferences that are often overlooked in the rush of standard protocols. This lack of individual attention can exacerbate the emotional and physical challenges faced by patients.
Solving this can be achieved by not leaving the patient out. That means actively listening to patients, empathizing with their experiences, and engaging them in decisions about their care. Sadly, some physicians will tell you they don’t have the time for this – and a lot of the time, it’s true. But effective communication builds trust, and needs to be prioritised to improve cancer patient care.
In short, it ensures that care plans align with patient values and preferences, and enhances patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment regimens. After all, communication gaps between healthcare providers and patients can lead to misunderstandings. Misunderstandings lead to complaints, and complaints lead to more pressure.
Continuous Learning and Development
Don’t use outdated practices. Do you know how many patient outcomes improve because hospitals require staff to do mandatory training and updates? As we mentioned before – especially when it comes to technology – things change all the time, and staff need to be prepared to deal with those changes and ensure they’re optimising them.
This third cornerstone underscores the necessity for healthcare professionals to engage in continuous learning and professional development. Staying up to date with all the latest developments that enable healthcare providers to apply the latest evidence-based practices to cancer patient care.
Conclusion
So there we have it. The three cornerstones to effective cancer patient care. While there are three cornerstones, however, the one key obstacle comes in identifying and addressing common pitfalls in the patient’s journey.
These pitfalls often stem from systemic issues within healthcare settings. That includes everything we talked about, including inadequate communication, insufficient integration of technological resources, and a lack of personalized care.
The journey toward exceptional patient care isn’t easy – and we can promise you, it’ll never get to the ‘gold standard’. But something must be done to improve cancer patient outcomes and happiness within the healthcare system, and these cornerstones are the best place to start.
