Precision Supportive Care Centers Patient Preference in Oncology

Precision supportive care pairs patient preference with provider insights, tailoring interventions to the unique needs of each patient with cancer, according to Michelle Kirschner, MSN, RN, ACNP, APRN-BC. Kirschner, who serves as the director of program development at the Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care Professionals Network, spoke with Oncology Nursing News about how this approach integrates survivorship from the time of diagnosis.

As Kirschner explained, the foundation of precision supportive care lies in aligning evidence-based strategies with patient values. Providers have a broad “toolkit” that includes lifestyle medicine—such as nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction—along with integrative options like massage, acupuncture, and yoga. The role of the care team is to help patients identify which approaches resonate most with them and to support implementation.

Coaching, which Kirschner said is an underutilized but growing component of supportive care, can further empower patients to navigate choices that address both adverse effects and quality of life. For example, acupuncture may be recommended for fatigue, aligning clinical knowledge with patient interest.

By combining patient-driven preferences with provider expertise, precision supportive care creates individualized, holistic plans that optimize symptom management and long-term survivorship outcomes.

Transcript

It’s the idea that survivorship is starting the day of diagnosis. With precision, we want to be as efficient as possible and prevent things. That’s part of the plan, but a lot of it is coming alongside the individual and understanding how they want to approach this.

We have all these different tools; I call it a toolkit. We have lifestyle medicine with nutrition and exercise and destressing, and we have integrative medicine with massage and acupuncture and yoga.

What you want to understand for each individual is of the toolkit, what are the things that really speak to them? Then make sure that you help them actualize what they need.

Coaching is a is an underutilized part of the team. We’re seeing more coaches that are coming alongside our patients with cancer. But [it’s about] understanding, what does an individual like? What are the things that they are interested in? Then give them recommendations.

I, as a provider, will know what things are helpful based on the adverse effects that they’re having. I could then say, “OK, you’re having fatigue, and if you want to try more integrative options, acupuncture might be really helpful.”

It’s understanding things from their standpoint. I would come alongside the patient, pulling from the knowledge I have, and pair up those 2 things. That’s the precision. The patient side, and then the knowledge base on how we effectively treat those adverse effects.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.