A cancer day hospital: an alternative approach to caring for patients in clinical trials.
The National Institutes of Health recently established a large cancer day hospital (CDH) to address the need to support new research initiatives in the face of a shrinking research budget. By design, the CDH is very much a nursing unit. It employs a collaborative practice model of patient care delivery that emphasizes the nurses' independent clinical- and protocol-related responsibilities and roles. The CDH is designed to be budget neutral. An increased outpatient throughput and a decrease in inpatient days for at least one large protocol population (patients receiving therapy for prostate cancer) have been demonstrated. With a steadily increasing number of patients, the CDH appears to be a well-accepted and cost-effective site for the care of patients enrolled in oncology clinical trials.
Sands
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DA
Nursing Department, Warren Grant Magnusson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Galassi
A
A
0000-0002-0086-092X
Chisholm
L
L
Dimond
E
E
Caubo
K
K
Jenkins
J
J
D000359:Aftercare; D002017:Budgets; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010351:Patient Discharge; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce