"Advocates" in chemo treatment area

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Joe-46er - 21 Jan 2004 03:36 GMT

I read recently of one onc doc who has hired what he calls a "Chemo
Patient Advocate" who works with the people receiving treatment. The
woman is a cancer survivor herself and her job is to get to know the
patients and just listen and be sensitive to them, encouraging them.
She sorta floats around the rooms and connects with people who are
open to that. There are a lot of very lonely, discouraged and scared
patients in onc offices. The nurses do a great job of course but their
time is limited

Have any of you run across anything like this in your onc offices?

_________________________________

"Take a little 5FU, leucovorin and oxaliplatin for thy stomach's
sake." -- 1 Timothy 5:33 (adapted)

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Mike Radcliffe - 22 Jan 2004 17:27 GMT

> I read recently of one onc doc who has hired what he calls a "Chemo
> Patient Advocate" who works with the people receiving treatment. The
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Have any of you run across anything like this in your onc offices?

As long as the patients are always informed of their right to have or not
have chemo and the reasons for having it and she doesn't push them to have
it when it may not be appropriate I see no problem, it's probably a good
thing.
MIKE

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Joe-46er - 23 Jan 2004 00:56 GMT

Actually, the position reminds me of a "chaplain" than anything else.
I thought it was a nice touch for that particular onc doc. He must
care a lot.

>> I read recently of one onc doc who has hired what he calls a "Chemo
>> Patient Advocate" who works with the people receiving treatment. The
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>thing.
>MIKE

_________________________________

"Take a little 5FU, leucovorin and oxaliplatin for thy stomach's sake." -- 1 Timothy 5:33 (adapted)

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Kim C - 24 Jan 2004 21:32 GMT

Hi Joe (and group)

I work in an onc office that is on the campus of a local hospital. The
hospital employs two nurses that are listed as "Breast Health Specalists."
They do basically what you are talking about. They are in our office a lot,
at just about every new breast ca patients first visit - as well as their
first treatment. They meet them upon diagnosis and follow them through
surgery, treatment, the whole thing. Now, these ladies deal specifically
with breast ca and it's a great source of support for our patients. I often
think that it's just too bad they don't have that for everyone.

Kim C

> I read recently of one onc doc who has hired what he calls a "Chemo
> Patient Advocate" who works with the people receiving treatment. The
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> "Take a little 5FU, leucovorin and oxaliplatin for thy stomach's
> sake." -- 1 Timothy 5:33 (adapted)

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