Jan 5, 2021
This episode features Jeanna Qiu (Harvard Medical
School, Boston, MA, USA).
Maintaining quality of life for patients with malignant fungating
wounds requires collaboration of diverse healthcare specialties,
from oncology and palliative care to wound care. Research
has explored the experiences of patients with malignant
fungating wounds and the nurses who treat them. It is essential to
understand the experiences and perceived roles of clinicians from
different specialties and disciplines who treat patients with
malignant fungating wounds
Different clinical specialties assumed the leading role at
different points of the clinical care timeline with medical
oncology prominent throughout care. Identifies the points in time
when collaboration between specialties is essential, when
communication fails, or when clinicians from different specialties
have differing perspectives and experiences.
Wound care and medical oncology must collaborate effectively to
ensure accurate assessment of the progression of the wound and
cancer. Palliative care and oncology must partner effectively to
ensure patients’ quality of life and when to stop curative
treatment. Strategies like joint visits or strengthening the
professional relationships across specialties such that palliative
care and oncology clinicians can have open conversations about
patients may help to reduce the prevalence of conflicting messages
to patients.