title: Case study of quality assurance in the administration of chemotherapy.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to monitor the quality of chemotherapy administration within the department of oncology, of the university hospitals in Leuven (Belgium), by focusing on prescription and documented administration of chemotherapy. First, the actors and phases of the process were identified. Then selected patient records of three different types of chemotherapy were retrospectively analysed for 453 chemotherapy administrations. Study results indicated an important need to standardize the nursing and medical guidelines concerning chemotherapy administration. A formal task force was established to work on a multidisciplinary basis. The goals were to improve the routine process by identifying practical problems at any level and to standardize procedures by replacing all poorly defined "habits" by well-structured guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanghe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paridaens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vantongelen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aerts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lejeune
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vermeiren
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000592:standards*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents