Talking About Melanoma: Empowering Patients to Communicate Confidently with Their Clinicians | Characteristics

I've worked as a nurse specializing in skin cancer for five years, helping people from diagnosis to recovery. Through our regular interactions with people with melanoma and their caregivers, Clinical Nurse Specialists (Clinical Nurse Specialists) are uniquely positioned to hear their concerns, answer their questions and personalize their care. We work with the Multidisciplinary Clinical Team (MDT) to ensure that they receive the treatment options best suited to their needs.

In May, it should be noted that melanoma is now the fifth most common cancer in the UK.¹ and it has the third increasing incidence rate of common cancers.² With a number of preventable and preventable causes, new treatment options, and the individuality of each person with melanoma, complex information needs to be adapted and communicated effectively. Decision-making must be shared so that the treatment can be better adapted to the individual and the trustworthy patient-professional relationship of health can be encouraged.

According to Patients with melanoma are important According to the report, nine people with melanoma feel that they have been involved in discussions about their treatment and care, to varying degrees, although they have often wanted to be involved more than They had not been. However, one-third of people with melanoma do not think they have been able to discuss their treatment priorities and expectations with their health care professionals.

To address this unmet need, there is a need for tools and standards that collaborative health teams should use and benefit from. the Patients with melanoma are important The Talking About Melanoma Matters reports and tool have been developed to ensure that people with melanoma are at the center of treatment decisions. The report and tool offer tips that can be replicated throughout the country. They prove that collaboration between people with melanoma and their clinicians actually works. Shared decision-making is possible.

What is shared decision making and why is it important?

In simple terms, shared decision making is the time when health professionals and patients work together.³ When people are at the center of their care decisions, their knowledge is improved and anxiety reduced.⁴ It also helps us badess risks and detect problems before they escalate.

At the Royal Surrey County Hospital, clinical nurse specialists attend patient meetings with the oncologist and surgeon. When surgical procedures are discussed, we attend the meeting and provide more information. During these meetings, the treatment priorities and expectations of our patients are discussed in depth, depending on the level of information they require. They then receive our phone numbers and are encouraged to follow up if they have any concerns or questions. Crucially, they have time to digest the information provided to them, allowing them to make informed decisions. It's about giving time and being available to patients when the time comes.

A strong and confident patient can communicate more effectively with PCT, which, in my opinion, leads to better results.⁴ Of the 104 people with melanoma interviewed as part of the Patients with melanoma are important According to the report, only half felt that they fully understood their diagnosis and the nature of their illness after their doctor or central nervous system explained it. A diagnosis of melanoma can be emotionally overwhelming. Good communication is essential to ensure the best results for our patients. A two-way dialogue is essential: clinicians need to understand the expectations of their patients, while patients have a role to play in sharing information and asking the most effective questions.

The central role of NSCs as advocates for patients' rights

I see about 70 people with melanoma each week. They have the CNS's direct number and e-mail address and can contact them during working hours. Their needs and concerns are individual. They may worry about the impact on their family, whether their condition will prevent them from working or will be financially burdensome, while some will want to know how the treatments will affect their quality of life on a daily or long-term basis. term.

It's my job to respond to the patient in front of me, which means that I have to have a unique relationship with each one of them. It's essential to really understand and develop care plans. This knowledge and responsibility means that NACs have a central role to play in the multidisciplinary team. We advocate for patients' rights and ensure that their voices are heard even in their absence.

CNS can empower patients to make the best decisions for them. Anyone with melanoma should have access to one. We need to understand and communicate many complex and difficult aspects of the patient experience, from diagnosis to treatment options, to later options. It is important that someone can understand them and answer questions clearly, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Report on the patient with melanoma

The report makes recommendations based on a survey of patients with stage 3 and 4 melanoma across the UK. One of the recommendations is that people with melanoma should be introduced to the central nervous system (CNS) – their lawyer – at diagnosis. Despite the increasing prevalence of melanoma, the central nervous system workforce is the fourth most important of all cancer specialties. the Patients with melanoma are important The report highlights the need to increase the number of CNS of melanomas and to address geographic disparities that result in suboptimal outcomes for patients.

Although resources may be scarce and time-limited, it is still essential that health professionals have open and honest conversations with their patients so that informed and shared decisions can be made.

Talking melanoma tool, it matters

In order to facilitate these productive and constructive conversations, the Talking Melanoma tool, it counts, has been developed, as indicated in the report. The structured framework provides tips to help you reach the best practices for melanoma counseling, from the first time GP appointment to life after melanoma.

Armed with the Melanoma Talking Tool, it matters, we can anticipate our patients' questions, engage them significantly, and improve their melanoma care experience. Patients receive sample questions for their clinicians and actions to take into account to ensure that they are guided along the treatment path that suits them. Along with this information, we are getting advice on what people with melanoma want their clinicians to do at every step. This tool will allow more and more busy clinical staff to increase the value of time spent with patients.

References

¹Cancer Research UK: Incidence of melanoma skin cancer. www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/melanoma-skin-cancer#heading-Zero

²Cancer Research UK: Trends in the incidence of common cancers over time. www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/incidence/common-cancers-compared#heading-Three

³National Institute for Excellence in Health and Care: Shared Decision Making. www.nice.org.uk/about/what-we-do/our-programmes/nice-guidance/nice-guidelines/shared-decision-making

⁴NHS England: Shared decision-making to improve health outcomes. www.england.nhs.uk/shared-decision-making/why-is-sshared-decision-making-important/shared-decision-making-to-improve – health – results

Declaration of Interest: This article was initiated and funded by BMS UK Ltd. The author, Delia Sworm, was selected on the basis of her expertise in the field. BMS provided editorial comments on the accuracy of the content

ONCUK1900597-2 / May 2019