Critical pathway for administering high-dose chemotherapy followed by peripheral blood stem cell rescue in the outpatient setting.
OBJECTIVE
To explain the rationale and process of outpatient critical pathway development for sequential high-dose chemotherapy followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.


METHODS
Published books and journal articles.


RESULTS
Complex treatment for patients with metastatic breast cancer is shifting to the outpatient area. To make this therapy safe and cost effective, a process for monitoring this type of outpatient care needs to be developed.


CONCLUSIONS
Collaboration with a multidisciplinary team is important in ensuring quality of care for complex outpatient treatment protocols. Critical pathway development can serve as a road map for delivering this care.


CONCLUSIONS
As team leaders, nurses should oversee the critical pathway development and implementation. Nurses also should maintain their role of patient advocacy through monitoring pathway compliance.
Burns
J M
JM
Stanford University Hospital, CA, USA.
Tierney
D K
DK
Long
G D
GD
Lambert
S C
SC
Carr
B E
BE
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D002140:California; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design