Decreasing Rates of Neutropenia in the Chemotherapy Patient Research Paper - 1

Decreasing Rates of Neutropenia in the Chemotherapy Patient - Research Paper Example Cameron (2009) suggests that letting patients know the signs and symptoms of neutropenia if they are at risk from chemotherapy treatment will allow them to recognize these signs early and receive treatment. This should prevent any complications (such as infectious disease) and prevent a delay to chemotherapy. This again suggests that the outcome of education will be a reduction in neutropenia. Matias et al (2010) also suggest that the length of time before neutropenia becomes apparent can be estimated in chemotherapy patients, allowing staff to put patients at this stage of treatment on watch to help reduce complications. Taking this information into account, it was necessary to design a method for practise-based change. As the need for this change had already been found, it was only necessary to find appropriate methods of education for staff and patients alike that could help reduce the number of cases of neutropenia. It was suggested that seminars and information leaflets could be the most useful in this case, and that distribution of these to everyone involved should occur. To check the results of this program, it would be necessary to statistically compare the number of cases of neutropenia in the cancer ward before and after this education. In conclusion, there is a lot of evidence that this system could work and should undergo a trial run in one healthcare establishment. This would allow for any problems to be found before releasing the program on a national scale.