Investigating the Use of a Patient Tool to Identify Grade 2 Immunotoxicity

Grade 2 immunotoxicity refers to moderate immune-related side effects caused by immunotherapy. These side effects can manifest in various ways, including skin rashes, gastrointestinal issues, joint pain, and more. Grade 2 toxicity is the first grade of toxicity that requires withholding treatment and steroid intervention, which is why it is the focus of this study. These toxicities often escalate to higher grades before detection due to the absence of standardized guidelines for patients to recognize them. Baseline data from Windsor Regional Hospital revealed a critical gap: none of the 15 prescribing oncologists had regular written guidelines for patients to identify these toxicities. As a result, 24% of immunotherapy infusions led to emergency room visits, with 5% resulting in hospitalizations between March and June 2022. The considerable impact of delayed intervention underscores the urgency of addressing this issue. Our project aims to develop a user-friendly tool to identify grade 2 immunotoxicity. This tool will empower both patients and healthcare professionals to recognize grade 2 toxicities early, allowing for timely intervention. We will create a one-page infographic, available in multiple languages, to help patients self-identify grade 2 toxicities. This tool will be distributed through paper-based posters. We will evaluate its effectiveness through feedback from healthcare professionals. Successful implementation of our tool is expected to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations, enhance patient therapy completion rates, and improve patient experiences. The project's scalability will enable easy adoption in other cancer programs across Ontario and CaEli.