Davis J

Background: The Comprehensive Cancer Program held a community Colorectal Cancer Awareness Fair on March 5, 2019 at the VAMC. The goal was to increase awareness of Colorectal Cancer and to engage veterans in educational opportunities about Colorectal Cancer.

Methods: The VAMC purchased an in atable “Megacolon” for veterans to walk through guided by nurses from the GI department. Cubicles were set-up for nursing education sessions, a provider station, a scheduling station, and a colonoscope table. A video loop “Before and After Colonoscopy” by Mechanisms in Medicine, Inc. (Thornhill, Ontario, Canada) played continuously in the waiting area by the provider and nurse’s cubicles. Providers in the GI department offered 2 educational presentations: “How to Stop Colon Cancer Before It Starts” by Carol Macaron, MD; and “Colonoscopy: The Good, Bad, and Ugly” by Edith Ho, MD. Additional education information was provided at staffed tables from VA General Surgery, GI, MOVE! Nutrition & Food Services, and Smoking Cessation. Also, in attendance were Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. External Affairs advertised the fair on Facebook and Twitter. Medical Media created publicity posters and event flyers.

Results: The event was attended by 244 people—68 veterans, 170 employees, and 6 guests. Six colonoscopies were scheduled onsite. At least 7 veterans had questions regarding their colonoscopy surveillance in which reminder dates were given.

Background: The Comprehensive Cancer Program held a community Colorectal Cancer Awareness Fair on March 5, 2019 at the VAMC. The goal was to increase awareness of Colorectal Cancer and to engage veterans in educational opportunities about Colorectal Cancer.

Methods: The VAMC purchased an in atable “Megacolon” for veterans to walk through guided by nurses from the GI department. Cubicles were set-up for nursing education sessions, a provider station, a scheduling station, and a colonoscope table. A video loop “Before and After Colonoscopy” by Mechanisms in Medicine, Inc. (Thornhill, Ontario, Canada) played continuously in the waiting area by the provider and nurse’s cubicles. Providers in the GI department offered 2 educational presentations: “How to Stop Colon Cancer Before It Starts” by Carol Macaron, MD; and “Colonoscopy: The Good, Bad, and Ugly” by Edith Ho, MD. Additional education information was provided at staffed tables from VA General Surgery, GI, MOVE! Nutrition & Food Services, and Smoking Cessation. Also, in attendance were Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. External Affairs advertised the fair on Facebook and Twitter. Medical Media created publicity posters and event flyers.

Results: The event was attended by 244 people—68 veterans, 170 employees, and 6 guests. Six colonoscopies were scheduled onsite. At least 7 veterans had questions regarding their colonoscopy surveillance in which reminder dates were given.

Background: The Comprehensive Cancer Program held a community Colorectal Cancer Awareness Fair on March 5, 2019 at the VAMC. The goal was to increase awareness of Colorectal Cancer and to engage veterans in educational opportunities about Colorectal Cancer.

Methods: The VAMC purchased an in atable “Megacolon” for veterans to walk through guided by nurses from the GI department. Cubicles were set-up for nursing education sessions, a provider station, a scheduling station, and a colonoscope table. A video loop “Before and After Colonoscopy” by Mechanisms in Medicine, Inc. (Thornhill, Ontario, Canada) played continuously in the waiting area by the provider and nurse’s cubicles. Providers in the GI department offered 2 educational presentations: “How to Stop Colon Cancer Before It Starts” by Carol Macaron, MD; and “Colonoscopy: The Good, Bad, and Ugly” by Edith Ho, MD. Additional education information was provided at staffed tables from VA General Surgery, GI, MOVE! Nutrition & Food Services, and Smoking Cessation. Also, in attendance were Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. External Affairs advertised the fair on Facebook and Twitter. Medical Media created publicity posters and event flyers.

Results: The event was attended by 244 people—68 veterans, 170 employees, and 6 guests. Six colonoscopies were scheduled onsite. At least 7 veterans had questions regarding their colonoscopy surveillance in which reminder dates were given.

Background: Malnutrition in cancer patients has a significant correlation with disability, dysfunction and death, as well as increased patient care costs, neutropenia, reduced quality of life, fall risk, fractures, nosocomial infections, and longer treatment durations 1-3. Registered dietitian (RD) involvement early on may increase recognition of malnutrition for at-risk patients. Guidelines for nutrition staffing in cancer centers is illdefined in the literature, with few existing recommendations.

Methods: In Phase 1, a survey of RDs across VHA was conducted to determine current referral and staffing practices surrounding nutrition care and services in outpatient oncology clinics. The survey was administered to RDs who devote some or all of their time to oncology nutrition in the outpatient setting and participate on 1 of 2 popular VHA listservs: a nutrition support listserv, and an oncology nutrition listserv.

Phase 2 will be a multi-site, retrospective, chart analysis among 20 VA facilities who treat cancer patients in the outpatient setting. Site investigators, divided into proactive vs. reactive nutrition practices based on Phase 1 survey results, will be instructed to obtain a list of patients diagnosed with high nutrition risk cancers during 2016 and 2017.

Primary outcomes measured will include weight loss, percent maximum weight change over speci ed timeframes, diagnosis of malnutrition, and reported breaks in treatment. Secondary outcomes include overall survival and disease-free survival. For all comparisons, P < 0.05 will be considered statistically signifcant.

Discussion: The data from 46 sites completing the national survey show that RD staffing practices vary widely across VA cancer centers. Few centers staff full time or dedicated oncology RDs independent of patient caseload, with the median oncology dedicated RD FTE being 0.5. Consult and referral practices dictating nutrition intervention were found to be reported as 17% proactive, 25% reactive, and 58% a combination of both practices. Phase 2 results seek to compare patient outcomes with RD staffing and nutrition care practices to determine much needed guidelines for effective nutrition delivery in VHA cancer centers across the U.S.

Background: Malnutrition in cancer patients has a significant correlation with disability, dysfunction and death, as well as increased patient care costs, neutropenia, reduced quality of life, fall risk, fractures, nosocomial infections, and longer treatment durations 1-3. Registered dietitian (RD) involvement early on may increase recognition of malnutrition for at-risk patients. Guidelines for nutrition staffing in cancer centers is illdefined in the literature, with few existing recommendations.

Methods: In Phase 1, a survey of RDs across VHA was conducted to determine current referral and staffing practices surrounding nutrition care and services in outpatient oncology clinics. The survey was administered to RDs who devote some or all of their time to oncology nutrition in the outpatient setting and participate on 1 of 2 popular VHA listservs: a nutrition support listserv, and an oncology nutrition listserv.

Phase 2 will be a multi-site, retrospective, chart analysis among 20 VA facilities who treat cancer patients in the outpatient setting. Site investigators, divided into proactive vs. reactive nutrition practices based on Phase 1 survey results, will be instructed to obtain a list of patients diagnosed with high nutrition risk cancers during 2016 and 2017.

Primary outcomes measured will include weight loss, percent maximum weight change over speci ed timeframes, diagnosis of malnutrition, and reported breaks in treatment. Secondary outcomes include overall survival and disease-free survival. For all comparisons, P < 0.05 will be considered statistically signifcant.

Discussion: The data from 46 sites completing the national survey show that RD staffing practices vary widely across VA cancer centers. Few centers staff full time or dedicated oncology RDs independent of patient caseload, with the median oncology dedicated RD FTE being 0.5. Consult and referral practices dictating nutrition intervention were found to be reported as 17% proactive, 25% reactive, and 58% a combination of both practices. Phase 2 results seek to compare patient outcomes with RD staffing and nutrition care practices to determine much needed guidelines for effective nutrition delivery in VHA cancer centers across the U.S.

Background: Malnutrition in cancer patients has a significant correlation with disability, dysfunction and death, as well as increased patient care costs, neutropenia, reduced quality of life, fall risk, fractures, nosocomial infections, and longer treatment durations 1-3. Registered dietitian (RD) involvement early on may increase recognition of malnutrition for at-risk patients. Guidelines for nutrition staffing in cancer centers is illdefined in the literature, with few existing recommendations.

Methods: In Phase 1, a survey of RDs across VHA was conducted to determine current referral and staffing practices surrounding nutrition care and services in outpatient oncology clinics. The survey was administered to RDs who devote some or all of their time to oncology nutrition in the outpatient setting and participate on 1 of 2 popular VHA listservs: a nutrition support listserv, and an oncology nutrition listserv.

Phase 2 will be a multi-site, retrospective, chart analysis among 20 VA facilities who treat cancer patients in the outpatient setting. Site investigators, divided into proactive vs. reactive nutrition practices based on Phase 1 survey results, will be instructed to obtain a list of patients diagnosed with high nutrition risk cancers during 2016 and 2017.

Primary outcomes measured will include weight loss, percent maximum weight change over speci ed timeframes, diagnosis of malnutrition, and reported breaks in treatment. Secondary outcomes include overall survival and disease-free survival. For all comparisons, P < 0.05 will be considered statistically signifcant.

Discussion: The data from 46 sites completing the national survey show that RD staffing practices vary widely across VA cancer centers. Few centers staff full time or dedicated oncology RDs independent of patient caseload, with the median oncology dedicated RD FTE being 0.5. Consult and referral practices dictating nutrition intervention were found to be reported as 17% proactive, 25% reactive, and 58% a combination of both practices. Phase 2 results seek to compare patient outcomes with RD staffing and nutrition care practices to determine much needed guidelines for effective nutrition delivery in VHA cancer centers across the U.S.