Accuracy and acceptability of survivorship care plans: results of a pilot study.

Survivorship treatment summaries and care plans are increasingly incorporated into cancer care but there are limited data on their accuracy and acceptability. We have evaluated written care plans developed as part of a once-off, nurse-led survivorship consultations across four medical oncology clinics in South Australia as part of a state-wide pilot. While the accuracy of treatment summaries was high, level of detail in care plans was moderate to low, as was survivors' perception of plans' utility.

Retrospective audit of neutropenic fever after chemotherapy: how many patients could benefit from oral antibiotic management?

Guidelines suggest that carefully selected patients with neutropenic fever (NF) may be suitable for early discharge on oral antibiotics. Despite these recommendations, many centres manage NF with intravenous antibiotic protocols and inpatient care. We have conducted a retrospective audit of patients with NF, and found that 12 of 40 (30%) patients were eligible for early discharge on oral antibiotics and ambulatory care. Further studies into the barriers to ambulatory management in NF are warranted.