From the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, PA.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Cancer J. 2022;28(2):134-137. doi: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000580.
The care of patients with cancer occurs in a fast-moving, high-pressure, and high-stakes ecosystem. Early in 2020, that complex ecosystem was further complicated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. We address actions taken by care providers and systems during the initial phases of the pandemic, and how those actions preserved lifesaving and life-sustaining cancer care despite severely constrained resources. We outline cancer care principles and guidelines that were developed, shared, and adopted by cancer care organizations across the country. Care delivery concerns that arose during the pandemic, including equipment and personnel shortages, moral distress for care providers, and exacerbation of health care inequities are addressed. Process and operations changes taken by payers to serve their clients are described. Lessons learned are highlighted, along with a call to action that we learn from the experience, broaden our cancer care delivery mission, and commit to structural changes that will permanently improve the capacity of cancer care teams.
癌症患者的护理工作发生在一个快速变化、高压力和高风险的生态系统中。2020 年初，COVID-19 大流行的出现使这一复杂的生态系统更加复杂。我们将介绍在大流行的初始阶段护理提供者和系统所采取的行动，以及这些行动如何在资源严重受限的情况下维持挽救生命和维持生命的癌症护理。我们概述了全国癌症护理组织制定、分享和采用的癌症护理原则和指南。还讨论了大流行期间出现的护理提供方面的问题，包括设备和人员短缺、护理提供者的道德困境以及医疗保健不平等的加剧。描述了支付者为服务客户而采取的流程和运营变更。强调了经验教训，并呼吁我们从经验中学习，扩大我们的癌症护理服务使命，并致力于结构性变革，以永久提高癌症护理团队的能力。
