Objectives: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are important tools expected to be utilized by cancer counselors to appropriately inform patients and their families about current standards of care. However, the frequency and the process by which they are utilized by the counselors remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to clarify the status of CPG utilization among counselors assigned to Cancer Information and Support Centers (CISCs) in hospitals.
Methods: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted via a mailing list to all cancer care hospital CISCs in Japan in April 2022. Counselors were assessed on their use of 25 CPGs for healthcare providers and 8 patient guidebooks based on CPGs. The associations between the use of CPGs and patient guidebooks (number of uses and occasions for intention to use) and the background factors of the counselors, including their specialty and training attendance status, were statistically analyzed.
Results: A total of 730 counselors responded, of whom more than 60% intended to use the CPGs and/or patient guidebooks on three or more occasions, such as for personal study or when explaining medical information. However, the average number of CPGs and patient guidebooks used was 7.2 and 3.6, respectively. The use of CPGs and patient guidebooks was directly associated with the degree of commitment to counseling, specialization, and the length and amount of experience of the cancer counselor. Training significantly increased guideline usage, and accumulated training programs further increased the use of CPGs and patient guidebooks.
Conclusion: The number of counselors utilizing the CPGs and patient guidebooks was low. However, numerous occasions occurred in which they wanted to use them, so an increase in use is expected in
the future. This study suggests that participation in training programs promotes the use of CPGs
and patient guidebooks and improves the knowledge and skills for utilization of standard practice
information.
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