Emergency physicians experiences managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in Ontario, Canada: a qualitative study

Objective

The emergency department (ED) often serves as a crucial pathway for cancer diagnosis. However, little is known about the management of patients with new suspected cancer diagnoses in the ED. The objective of this study was to explore emergency physicians’ experiences in managing patients with a newly suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED.

Design

Between January and April 2024, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study. Interviews were conducted by trained research personnel using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. The interview transcripts were coded and thematic analysis was used to uncover key themes.

Setting and participants

Emergency physicians practising in Ontario, Canada.

Results

20 emergency physicians were interviewed. Four themes around the management of patients with new suspected cancer diagnoses in the ED were identified: (1) healthcare system-level factors that impact suspected cancer diagnosis through the ED, (2) institutional and provider-level challenges associated with managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED, (3) patient-level characteristics and experiences of receiving a cancer diagnosis in the ED and (4) the need for care coordination for patients with suspected cancer in the ED.

Conclusions

Physicians experienced several unique challenges in managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED. Overall, the findings of this study suggest these challenges often make the ED a difficult environment in which to deliver a suspected cancer diagnosis.

Agency Nurse Usage of Infusion Interoperability: Identifying Barriers and Improving Workflows

Over the past several years, hospitals have utilized agency staffing to combat staffing shortages. Increased use of agency staffing presented an opportunity for implementation of an education project related to the potential variance in practice of permanent staffing, specifically with the use of infusion interoperability in the inpatient setting at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center St Margaret hospital. Discussion around variables causing agency nurse setbacks with utilizing infusion interoperability while trying to meet the required standard laid the groundwork for this project. Improving agency workflows allowed for process improvement including enhanced quality, documentation, and adherence. Early data analysis revealed variance in adherence between agency and permanent staffing prompting further analysis. Investigational methods included assessment of agency nurse infusion interoperability usage through interviews and observations, review of adherence reports, review of education and onboarding, and interviewing of nurse leaders. Findings suggested lack of experience, inability to troubleshoot, and underutilized resources contributed to lower adherence with agency compared with permanent staff. These findings lead the informaticists to make changes to the curriculum for new hire onboarding, increase rounding and interactions with agency staff, and increase access to resources. These interventions resulted in increased adherence scores and verbalized satisfaction by the agency nurses.