Gwendolynn Harrell on the Benefits of an Outpatient Supportive Oncology Clinic

Gwendolynn Harrell, RN, Palliative Care Nurse Liaison, Supportive Oncology Care Team, Emory University, discusses the benefits of an outpatient supportive oncology clinic.

Cancer patients are referred to outpatient supportive oncology clinics by their oncologists to help manage their symptoms, Harrell says. The clinic houses a team that consists of an attending physician, a nurse practitioner, a chaplain, a registered dietitian and a social worker.

Harrell says the patients will either meet all or specific members of the team based on their needs. The patients can visit the outpatient facility once a week or once every 4 weeks.

By implementing this outpatient supportive oncology clinic, researchers found that the team was able to decreased patients’ symptoms without repeat hospitalizations.