Racha Sabbagh Dit Hawasli
Kingston University,UK
Title: Ambulatory chemotherapy fostering empowerment in cancer patients: An introduction and a feasibility study in Lebanon
Biography
Biography: Racha Sabbagh Dit Hawasli
Abstract
It has been often reported that cancer patients experience a sense of loss of control towards their fluctuating symptoms, disease management impacting their autonomy, and their life as a whole. Studies have shown that shared decision making can empower patients, improve adherence and overall quality of life. Therefore, governments have initiated policies supporting the involvement of patients in the management of their own care. One innovation in this context is ambulatory chemotherapy (AC), delivering chemotherapy to patients outside the hospital using a portable elastomeric infusion pump. AC is renowned for decreasing cost of care, enhancing quality of life, and empowering patients to regain control and normalcy. AC has become the standard of care for certain cancers in most developed countries. In Lebanon, a developing Mediterranean country with substantial demands for healthcare services and outstanding expenses, AC is not widely adopted yet. This research work entails the development of a framework to facilitate the uptake of AC in Lebanon. It involved a needs assessment of stakeholders and patients to understand the barriers and facilitators. This talk will present an overview of ambulatory chemotherapy, the types of ambulatory pumps used the patient journey, and finally a briefing of the work done in Lebanon to assess the feasibility of implementing this treatment modality. It is essential to assess the needs of the patients and the healthcare system for ambulatory chemotherapy to facilitate the commissioning this treatment modality and foster a strong infrastructure to support it.