Lauren McCaulley Discusses Ovarian Cancer Education

Lauren McCaulley, BSN, RN, OCN, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, describes changes in ovarian cancer education at her institution.

McCaulley says patients at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center used to receive a large binder with a lot of information. Now, the focus has changed to a new portfolio that is much smaller but still contains the basics and is given to a patient on diagnosis. Patients are instructed to maintain their portfolio through the treatment process, McCaulley says.

When a patient is discharged, the portfolio contains the discharge summary, medical records, and other information. Patients tailor their portfolios for themselves and create a journal with medication information, appointments, and questions to ask their physician. This portfolio and journal helps to keep things organized in a complicated outpatient clinic system, McCaulley says.