2789 - Standardized nursing care in the department of radiotherapy of a network of cancer centres

Background

The Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) is a specialised cancer institution. It has four centres distributed around Catalonia that covers 45% of the adult cancer patient population in the autonomy. In three of them exists a radiotherapy department: L’Hospitalet, Badalona and Girona; with 11 accelerators altogether. Near 6.000 patients per year receive treatment in them. All radiotherapy departments in Spain need to accomplish with a quality system. ICO has a system based in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regulations. Recently, a new system of ISO certification (ISO 9001:2015) has required increasing the homogenization level among our three departments. In addition, ICO promotes equality in access to services and assistance. For all these reasons it was developed the “Standardize project of the assistance procedures in Oncologic radiation”.

Methods

The ISO whole process was divided in 6 sub processes. In each center there was a group of professionals who works with every sub process and discuss with the other hospitals in order to define the common procedures. In February 2018, we started a work plan to do it through teleconference meetings. Nurses and radiotherapist technicians were included and nominate several leaders in each of the working groups which involved their activity. Meeting works ended in June 2018. From then until 2019 July we run with the implementation time.

Results

Nurses and radiotherapist technicians of the three institutions defined the list of agreements and consensus to do: homogeneous written education for patients to implement the active identification with patients Image guided radiotherapy protocols (IGRT) protocols for management break on treatments & short interruptions safety check list for the first session patient follow-up, alternating nurses and physicians nurse appointment at the end of treatments quality indicators for activity & schedules.

Conclusions

This project has assured that population from 3 different areas will receive same treatments, under equal circumstances. We incorporated strengths of each centre, using now a unique map of the process of radiotherapy. Furthermore we share same safety and prevention standards and a prospective system for risk analysis.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Institut Català d’Oncologia.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.