Cycle 2
death, permanent disability
SIDE EFFECT
To support providers in managing the increased volume of side effect reporting resulting from the cycle 1 intervention, the Quality and Safety team developed standardized messaging language for providers to use as a template in counseling patients around the most common mild (or combination of mild) side effects. These templates were intended to give providers a foundation from which to promptly and thoroughly respond to patient concerns. Reports of mild side effects were categorized by type and then aggregated across the pilot sample. The scripts including the messaging template tool were then developed based on the most frequently reported, or frequently reported combination, of side effects experienced by ED patients.Providers were able to review responses to individual PROs collected via the data collection tool, and then quickly add templates into the chat application using simple keyboard shortcuts (e.g. “/headache”) that they were able to edit as needed. These templaces included more detailed, timely counseling for patients compared to the general information on side effects included in the treatment plan given to them at the onset of treatment as part of usual care. The team also developed a process to ensure prompt responses to increased reports of serious side effects. When a patient indicated a serious side effect on the form, a message was automatically delivered to an on-call nurse that was monitoring any communication. The nurse would then ensure appropriate patient follow-up.In determining how to categorize the severity of side effects, mild side effects were defined as unwanted reactions to a drug that were not likely to result in death, permanent disability, or hospitalization, while serious side effects were defined as uncommon, unexpected, and/or severe reactions to a drug that might result in death, permanent disability, or hospitalization.