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V. Beattie



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    ED 12 - Caring for the Lung Cancer Patient (ID 12)

    • Event: WCLC 2015
    • Type: Education Session
    • Track: Nursing and Allied Professionals
    • Presentations: 1
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      ED12.03 - Navigating Care for the Lung Cancer Patient (ID 1820)

      14:15 - 15:45  |  Author(s): V. Beattie

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
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      Abstract:
      There were 35,371 deaths from Lung cancer in the United Kingdom in 2012 and it remains the leading cause of United Kingdom cancer deaths (Cancer Research UK 2014). Many patients can carry a high burden of symptoms, so the nature and scale of the disease can present significant challenges for the patients, their carer’s and for those who care for them within the National Health Service. As health care professionals we have a responsibility to provide an excellent service including communication and support of the highest standard. Lung Cancer Nurse Specialists (LCNS) are involved across all stages of the patient journey and have a distinctive role in communicating information and enabling patients with lung cancer to take an inclusive role in decisions around their care. They are mostly known as the patient’s keyworker, although the identified keyworker may change throughout the pathway according to the patient’s needs. Effective face to face communication along with regular telephone contact between the LCNS and the patient and carers can aid the development and implementation of individualised care plans. The LCNS should be available at all stages to complement care and facilitate best practice, responsible for the provision of information to patients and their families in a timely manner, within a supportive environment (NICE 2011). With an average annual new caseload of 122 patients per LCNS (UKLCC, 2012) there can be an overstrain on the level of support provided by the LCNS which can lead to inequity of access and inconsistent support (Leary et al, 2008). Yet consistent specialist support and advice are essential as individuals care needs and treatment options can be complex. With this in mind we have restructured the lung cancer service at Aintree Hospitalwith the development of a support worker role. Implementation of the role is competency led and training needs structured around specific pathways (Brummell et al, 2014). With correct delegation, such as being an access point for patients and health care professionals, the support worker can release the LCNS to enable a more effective use of LCNS skills, improving patient experience. United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC, 2012) recommends that all lung cancer patients should be able to access LCNS support and advocacy when they need it throughout their whole journey to support their holistic needs. Holistic care is total patient care that considers the physical, psychological, social, economic and spiritual needs of the person with his or her response to illness. Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) helps form a base on which to navigate care needs of the individual. It provides a framework to discuss individuals concerns and how they are feeling, to identify and understand individual needs, enable care that is personalised, sign post to appropriate agencies, and enables patients to access, identify, appraise and interpret information. HNA should be performed at or near diagnosis and at the end of treatment and whenever health and social needs change. Indeed, work undertaken by Tod et al (2013) ‘Opening Doors to treatment’ explored the impact of LCNS’s on access to anti-cancer treatment. The report demonstrated why and how the LCNS has an impact in accessing treatment, with the communication and coordination aspects of the LCNS role being essential in realising the impact in increasing treatment access. This paper sets out to demonstrate as to why the LCNS in the UK is pivotal to navigating the care of the lung cancer patient. Brummell S, Tod A, Guerin M, Beattie V et al (2014) An evaluation of the role of the support workers in lung cancer. Cancer Nursing Practice. 14, 1, 22-27. Cancer Research UK (2014) Lung Cancer Statistics. [Online ]http:// cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancerstatistics-by-cancer-type/lung-cancer/mortality [Accessed June 30 2015] Leary A, Bell N, Darlison L et al (2008) An analysis of lung cancer clinical nurse specialist workload and value. Cancer Nursing Practice. 7, 10, 29-33. National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2011) Diagnosis and treatment of Lung Cancer. Department of Health. London. UK Lung Cancer Coalition (2012) The Dream MDT for Lung Cancer: Delivering High Quality Lung Cancer Care and Outcomes

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