US oncology group aims to revolutionise cancer care with free online service

30 January 2008

A website set up by Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS) in the US aims to change the way oncology professionals prescribe chemotherapy to cancer patients.

The website, ChemoOrders.com, helps doctors and nurses administer current chemotherapy protocols in a more accurate and efficient manner. The web site is available for free to medical professionals and the public.

The site creates patient-specific chemotherapy orders and supporting documents based on physician or nurse-entered vital signs and disease parameters. An average order takes about one minute to enter and print.

The site is modeled after a disease management system GCS developed and has used in patient care for several years.

GCS president and CEO Dr Bruce Feinberg said the website addresses the complexity that is inherent in treating cancer. "Cancer is actually 200 diseases that behave differently and require individualized protocols," he said, "and those protocols can vary greatly among two patients with the same type of cancer."

Traditionally, doctors have developed treatment regimens on a case-by-case basis, and without access to a current and comprehensive treatment guide.

"Most oncologists practice the same way they have for 20 years, trusting their memories and nurses' support to prescribe and manage treatment," Dr Feinberg said. "The ever-growing complexity of cancer management makes this approach increasingly risky for both patient and provider. We think it's time to improve the system."

Dr Feinberg believes ChemoOrders.com enhances patient care in three measurable ways:

1. By providing oncology professionals the latest treatment protocols, with strict adherence to the published dose, schedule, and administration guidelines.
2. By dramatically increasing the efficiency with which chemotherapy
   orders and related documents are generated.
3. By significantly reducing prescribing mistakes, administration errors, patient risk, and physician liability.

In addition to chemotherapy order forms, the site also produces print- ready chemotherapy flow sheets, informed consents, and patient education materials.

"We want to provide touch-of-a-button access to everything patients and doctors need for a successful treatment experience," Dr. Feinberg said.

ChemoOrders.com uses established peer-reviewed clinical guidelines to ensure that the most current disease protocols are outlined. Protocol selection and scientific content oversight are performed by a group of physicians, ONS-certified nurses and nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. All listed protocols are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, compendia listed, or both.

The site is at www.chemoorders.com and has a movie in Flash format demonstrating the system.