EFFICACY OF COORDINATED SUPPORTIVE CARE IN GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY PATIENTS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The gynecologic oncology section of the OU Physicians has proposed a plan to initiate an innovative outpatient-based program of palliative care for patients cared for on the OU Health Sciences Center campus. This program will target women with gynecologic cancer who have incurable recurrent cancer, for which treatment goals include palliation of symptoms and increased length of survival. This intervention strives to influence improved communication and coordinated care in a number of domains including physical, emotional, and social, which may lead to better patient care in terms of symptom control. This program will involve a psychologist to organize and individualize coordinated care between the OU Medical Center staff responsible for in-patient services and the OU Physicians staff responsible for outpatient services. It will be designed so that the coordinator will communicate with patients and family members at regularly scheduled intervals in person, on the phone and in writing on issues related to medical treatment decisions, palliation of symptoms and supportive care needs. The coordinator will review and address patient and family concerns with other team members and respond to the patient and/or her family member to improve communication, better meet expectations and improve quality of care. This service will continue until the death of the patient, or the culmination of the study/funding. The expectation is that this coordinated intervention will increase the quality of life and satisfaction with services for patients for whom there are no known curative interventions.