Optimizing the Benefits of Self-Monitoring Among Patients With Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate oncology professionals' perspectives about, experience with, and envisioned feasibility of incorporating patient self-monitoring as a patient-centered practice. 
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RESEARCH APPROACH: An interpretive, descriptive study.
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SETTING: Four health systems and five cancer centers in three states. 
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PARTICIPANTS: 38 nurses, nurse practitioners, oncologists, physician assistants, and radiation therapists.
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METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Individual and focus group interviews.
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FINDINGS

Three themes were revealed.

CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovers the potential contribution of patient self-monitoring as a means of providing patient-generated data that informs clinical decision making, going beyond self-monitoring for self-management only. Because the term self-monitoring is not used by clinicians, adoption of an agreed-upon term is recommended as the first step toward developing and implementing a self-monitoring strategy. Findings support the need to reenvision patient education to ensure self-monitoring is clinically useful while preventing an excessive focus on the negative, which may contribute to patient anxiety.
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INTERPRETATION

The full potential for self-monitoring by patients is not entirely reached. Because nurses are charged with providing patient education, they are strategically positioned to adopt the term self-monitoring and integrate a self-monitoring strategy into patient-centered practice.