Electronic health records (EHRs) can offer so much more than a way to keep all processes and procedures linked to a patient. Christina Boord, BSN, RN, OCN®, and Cori Kopecky, MSN, RN, OCN®, discussed electronic health records, patient data, and outcomes during a session at the 43rd Annual Congress in Washington, DC.
On July 10, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to ipilimumab for use in combination with nivolumab for the treatment of patients 12 years of age and older with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient metastatic colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are creating new and innovative programs that educate patients and help them live better, healthier lives. Lorraine Drapek, DNP, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, Geline Joy Tamayo, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, OCN®, TTS, Suzanne McGettigan, MSN, CRNP, AOCN®, ANP-BC, and Edward Bentlyewski, MSN, APN, NP-C, AOCNP®, discussed their experiences with APN-run clinics and program implementation during a session at the 43rd Annual Congress in Washington, DC.
Staying updated on advancements in cancer care increases the chances of improved outcomes for patients.
As precision oncology continues to expand, so does the ability to use less-toxic targeted therapies. James Chen, MD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics and assistant professor of internal medicine at the division of medical oncology at Ohio State University in Columbus, described his work with genomics in cancer care and the challenges in precision medicine at the 43rd Annual Congress in Washington, DC.
Oncology nurses know the challenges of patient adherence to oral cancer therapies. Every dose a patient misses can affect their outcomes and chance of survival. But in clinical trials, oral adherence has even broader implications: when a study is evaluating the efficacy of a drug, it depends on study participants taking it exactly as the trial outlines.
An initial proposal from the Trump administration might cut funds for outreach related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As of yet no decisions are finalized and funding may still remain consistent, but limiting funding for outreach of the ACA, known to most as Obamacare, isn't a new move for the current administration. In 2017, it cut funding for navigators who educated and enrolled Americans in the ACA marketplace, leading to confusion among potential applicants and lower enrollment numbers.
As the ONS Board of Directors held its first meeting with some of its newest members after the 43rd Annual ONS Congress in May, transitions were top of mind. The Board successfully transitioned its leadership as new president, Laura Fennimore, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, and three new directors-at-large (Heather Thompson Mackey, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, AOCN®, Anne Ireland, MSN, RN, AOCN®, CENP, and Susan Bruce, MSN, RN, OCN®, AOCNS®) came on board.
On March 6, 2018, 23andMe—an at-home genetic testing company—announced their direct-to-consumer genetic test (DTCGT) would include DNA results for the three common founder BRCA mutations commonly seen in people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. This was big news because DNA results for the BRCA mutations had been previously available on the 23andMe panel report until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration removed them in 2013.