Cancer supportive care, improving the quality of life for cancer patients. A program evaluation report Ernest Rosenbaum1 , Holly Gautier1, Pat Fobair1, Eric Neri1, Bernadette Festa1, Margaret Hawn1, Alexandra Andrews2, Nama Hirshberger2, Sabrina Selim3 and David Spiegel4 (1) Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, 1101 Welch Road, Bldg. A, Ste. 6, Stanford, CA 94305, USA (2) Berkeley, CA, USA (3) Dartmouth University Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA (4) Stanford University School of Medicine, 400 Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, USA Abstract Goals of work As medical care for cancer has become more specialized in diagnosis, treatment has become more technical and fragmented. In order to help cancer patients and their families, we developed a coordinated program called the Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program (SCSCP) at the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. The Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program was initiated in 1999 to provide support for cancer patients, addressing the need for improved physical and emotional well-being and quality of life. This paper is a program evaluation report. Patients and methods The number of patient visits grew from 421 in 1999 to 6319 in 2002. This paper describes the utilization of the SCSCP program as assessed by 398 patient visit evaluations during a 9-week period, January 2002 to March 2002. During this time we collected attendance records with demographic data and anonymous questionnaires evaluating each program. Patients were asked to evaluate how the program helped them regarding increase of energy, reduction in stress, restful sleep, pain reduction, sense of hopefulness, and empowerment. Main results Over 90% of the patients using the SCSCP felt there was benefit to the program. Programs were chosen based on a needs assessment by oncologists, nurse managers, social workers, and patients. Massage, yoga, and qigong classes had the highest number of participants. Qualitative data showed benefit for each program offered. Conclusions This evaluation of a free cancer supportive care program initiated in a hospital outpatient setting provides initial evidence of patient satisfaction and improvement in quality of life. Supportive Care in Cancer ISSN: 0941-4355 (Paper) 1433-7339 (Online) DOI: 10.1007/s00520-004-0599-0 Issue: Volume 12, Number 5 Date: May 2004 Pages: 293 - 301 The Journal of Pain, 8/07 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.