Abstract
Background
The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO) Mucositis and Patient and Professional Education Study Groups are collaborating to improve the promulgation of the updated mucositis management guidelines. The initial step in the collaboration was to survey cancer care health professionals to determine their awareness of the original 2004 guidelines and their opinions on the usefulness of patient educational materials based on the guidelines.
Materials and methods
The authors surveyed four samples (three US and one European) of cancer health care professionals attending three cancer-related professional conferences between May and July 2005 using a ten-item questionnaire in both paper-and-pencil and web-based formats. Data were compiled and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results
All respondents were generally aware of the importance of mucositis as a treatment-limiting toxicity with life-threatening complications and endorsed regular oral assessment and dental care practices. Only about one third of the US respondents were aware of the 2004 guidelines in contrast to 80% of the European respondents. A majority of respondents across all four surveys (66–93%) felt strongly that educational materials based on the guidelines were needed and that they would use them, while a smaller number (7–29%) indicated they might use them if a patient had a problem with mucositis.
Conclusions
Awareness of the guidelines remains limited in the US, and use of the guidelines worldwide is minimal. The Mucositis and Patient and Professional Education Study Groups have developed a set of strategies to enhance dissemination, awareness, and use of the updated guidelines and to promote patient education based on the guidelines. Future work will focus on implementation and evaluation of the guidelines in clinical practice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). ASCO guideline procedures manual. http://www.asco.org (accessed 2/21/06)
Arnold R et al (1991) Educating for a change. Doris Marshall Institute for Education and Action, Toronto (Ontario, Canada), Between the Lines, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Barker GJ, Epstein JB, Williams KB, Gorsky M, Raber-Durlacher JE (2005) Current practice and knowledge of oral care for cancer patients: a survey of supportive health care providers. Support Care Cancer 13:32–41
Cooley ME, Moriarty H, Berger MS, SElm-Orr D, Coyle B, Short T (1995) Patient literacy and the readability of written cancer educational materials. Oncol Nurs Forum 22:1345–1351
Daniel BT, Damato KL, Johnson J (2004) Educational issues in oral care. Semin Oncol Nurs 20:48–52
Doak LG, Doak CC, Meade CD (1996) Strategies to improve cancer education materials. Oncol Nurs Forum 23:1305–1312
Fulton JF, Middleton GJ, McPhail JT (2002) Management of oral complications. Semin Oncol Nurs 18:28–35
McGuire DB (2003) Barriers and strategies in implementation of oral care standards for cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 11:435–441
McGuire D, Johnson J (2005) Developing an educational resource for mucositis: using the MASCC/ISOO mucositis guidelines in planning health professional and patient education in clinical practice. Symposium presentation (mucositis guidelines update), MASCC-ISOO 17th annual meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 2005. http://www.mascc.org (Mucositis Resource Center, Education section)
McGuire DB, Peterson DE, Rubenstein E (2004) Evidence-based guidelines for managing mucositis. Semin Oncol Nurs 20:59–66
Melnyk BM, Fineout-Overholt E (2005) Making the case for evidence-based practice. In: Melnyk BM, Fineout-Overholt E (eds) Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: a guide to best practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, pp 3–24
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edn. Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA
Rubenstein EB, Peterson DE, Schubert M, Keefe D, McGuire D, Epstein J, Elting LS, Fox PC, Cooksley C, Sonis ST (2004) Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of cancer therapy-induced oral and gastrointestinal mucositis. Cancer 100(9):2026–2046 (Suppl)
Sadler GR, Oberlee-Edwards L, Farooqi A, Hryniuk WM (2000) Oral sequelae of chemotherapy: an important teaching opportunity for oncology health care providers and their patients. Support Care Cancer 8:209–214
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dana Barkley of Oncology Educational Services; Carl Brown of the University of Utah College of Nursing; Debbie Kurtz of Business Services International, Inc.; and Jason Spitz of MGI Pharma for their assistance in distributing the survey to the individuals in the four samples and collecting the completed surveys. They also thank W. Cameron McGuire of Trinity College, Hartford, CT, for data entry and analysis, and for preparation of tabular materials.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Mucositis Study Group paper 9
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McGuire, D.B., Johnson, J. & Migliorati, C. Promulgation of guidelines for mucositis management: educating health care professionals and patients. Support Care Cancer 14, 548–557 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0060-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0060-7