Cancer brings many challenges into the lives of your patients...
Treatment options...
Disruption of normal activities...
Fear, anxiety and depression...
When treating your cancer and post chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy patients, it's easy to become focused on just the disease itself and the symptoms. But don't overlook their emotional and psychological issues. These can be as debilitating as the disease itself and seriously affect treatment outcomes if not addressed.
Depression caused by chronic pain and frustration can derail an otherwise successful course of treatment.
When treating your cancer patients, strive to become a one stop shop for addressing not only their post chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy and other physical side effects from treatment, but also a great resource for supportive services and information that can provide a tremendous benefit to your cancer patients.
Help them address some of the serious obstacles to successful treatment that most health care professionals don't think about.
Patient Information Resources1
Make your office the one place your cancer patients know they can go to for current patient information and education about cancer treatment options, specific types of cancer, long and short term side effects of their chosen course of treatment. When preparing your patient information materials, include education on cancer diagnosis, treatment, clinical trials, treatment side effects from chemotherapy or radiation and questions they should ask their doctors. Provide them with a list of local resources that are available to assist them with the challenges they face as a cancer patient.
Support for Lifestyle Changes
A cancer diagnosis can mean serious lifestyle changes for your cancer patients. Smokers will probably have to quit smoking; athletes will have to curtail some of their physical activity; patients who live alone may have to stay with family members while undergoing treatment. All of these changes can lead to serious emotional issues. Provide counseling to your cancer and post chemotherapy neuropathy patients on dealing with these lifestyle changes proactively. Provide tips on what they should expect and the best ways to handle these short term challenges.
Don't Be Afraid to Talk About Money
For cancer patients with no insurance or even less than adequate insurance, a cancer diagnosis can be especially devastating. They may forego necessary prescriptions or even skip appointments. When trying to pay for their cancer treatment, they may find it difficult to even pay for the most basic necessities of life. Become familiar with programs in your area that can assist your cancer patients with paying for medications, providing home health assistance, or even services that can help them with transportation to and from their health care providers.
Any assistance will help. Fighting cancer is hard enough without the added worry of financial issues. Just knowing that there are resources available to help might ward off the serious depression that can make recovery that much more difficult.
Keeping Track of Medical Information2
When a patient is undergoing chemotherapy, radiation or other treatment for cancer, they have mountains of information to keep track of. They need to monitor when to take their medication, how to take it, keep up with medical appointments, monitor their symptoms, and make note of any and all side effects their experience. They need to keep a written record of everything. Provide them with a record book or specific forms to make it easier for them to write everything down and keep it in one place. It will not only make it easier for your cancer patient to manage their medical information, it will make it much easier for you just having all their notes together in one place.
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