Patient-reported perceptions and safety behaviors in chemotherapy administration

EVALUATION OF: Schwappach DL, Wernli M. Chemotherapy patients' perceptions of drug administration safety. J. Clin. Oncol. 28(17), 2896-2901 (2010). During the process of medication administration, patients can participate in their own care by engaging in error prevention behaviors. Patients' safety behaviors are important patient-reported outcomes that can reduce medication errors, and by it, improve treatment effectiveness and safety. This article discusses the exploratory study of patients' perceptions of chemotherapy drug administration safety and the association between patients' perceptions of risk, harm and staff safety practices with patients' safety behaviors. The authors found that patients are concerned and ready to engage in safety behaviors for preventing errors in chemotherapy administration. The study findings call for improved communication and collaboration between providers and patients in clinical practice to engage patients in their chemotherapy treatments in real-time, which can have a major impact on cost and quality of care delivered in cancer.