| | Treatment boost for cancer sufferers |
| | Aug 18 2008 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail
CUTTING-EDGE technology is set to transform the way cancer patients in South-West Wales receive chemotherapy.
The South West Wales Cancer Network has introduced the computerised ChemoCare system, which will go live for lung cancer patients this month. It reduces the risk of human error by electronically making the complicated calculations involved in chemotherapy prescriptions.
It will also store electronic chemotherapy record ending the practice of clinicians relying solely on old-style paper notes.
It is hoped that this will benefit patients who are treated in outreach cancer clinics by reducing the risks of delays because notes are not available.
Blood test results will also be available at a touch of a button and abnormal test results are automatically flagged up in red by the computer.
Gail Povey, ChemoCare project lead pharmacist, said: “Chemotherapy is very complicated to prescribe because you have to take into account things like the body surface area and renal function when working out the dose.
“It can therefore be subject to human error.
“The ChemoCare system takes that away from staff and does it for them. It is estimated that it can reduce the risk of prescribing errors from around 19% or 20% to just 1%.”
The ChemoCare system is already used by two Welsh hospitals – Velindre and Ysbyty Gwynedd, in Bangor – but this is the first time is has been used across a Welsh cancer network.
The South West Wales Cancer Network covers more than 50% of the land mass of Wales from Aberystwyth to Bridgend, and links together eight acute hospitals – Bronglais, Withybush, West Wales General, Prince Philip, Singleton, Morriston, Neath Port Talbot and the Princess of Wales.
The ChemoCare system goes live this month, starting with lung cancer patients in Swansea |