By Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Case in Point Magazine and the Case Management Resource Guide

Understanding side effects of disease and, what’s more important, how to avoid them are two essential components of effective case management. Today, most case managers enter the practice with broad clinical backgrounds, but managing a patient with a diagnosis of cancer may be an area outside of their comfort zone.

The value of using professionals to deliver case management services is that case managers have the ability to conduct research and learn about conditions they may not necessarily be familiar with. In doing so, they seek knowledge about the treatments used to treat conditions, and then use that knowledge to educate and empower patients with the hope of  minimizing setbacks that may occur as part of the course of treatment. In doing this, case managers work collaboratively with the treatment team to improve outcomes and reduce costs of unnecessary visits to the emergency department due to complications.

Symptom management is an important skill case managers must develop when working with patients diagnosed with cancer. In educating patients on what to expect, they allay fears and allow the patients and their family to prepare for the changes that are likely to occur.

The goal of developing the patient teaching tool A Focus on Managing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy was to highlight the common side effects patient may experience when facing chemotherapy and provide some tips they can use that may lessen their impact.

If you don’t work with any patients who have cancer now, print off the tool or save the link. It is inevitable that one day you will have a family member, a friend, or a friend of a friend who will be told they have cancer. Having this tool allows you to hand over tangible advice that will help them through their journey, so please feel free to pass it along.

Have a great week!