Quality & Safety

NO SToPS: Assessment of a Supportive Care Program to Reduce Treatment Breaks in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Colleen K. Lambertz

Rick Tivis

Karrie Hansen

treatment interruption, head and neck cancer, supportive care, chemoradiation
CJON 2018, 22(6), 666-668. DOI: 10.1188/18.CJON.666-668

NO SToPS is an interprofessional supportive care program implemented in 2008 for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiation. The goals of the program are to reduce radiation treatment breaks and hospitalizations related to toxicity from this difficult treatment. Breaks lead to lower locoregional control and survival rates in this population. This article describes the effect of the NO SToPS program.

AT A GLANCE

  • Radiation treatment breaks decreased significantly after implementation of the NO SToPS supportive care program.
  • Social work intervention was associated with a significant reduction in hospitalizations during chemoradiation.
  • Daily RN/advanced practice provider assessment and spray and weigh were key to the program’s success.
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