Impact of the oncoral patient education follow-up program on the acquisition of knowledge about oral anticancer drugs

BackgroundMultidisciplinary care programs are developed to secure oral anticancer treatments and ensure continuity of care. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of this educational pathway on patients' knowledge of oral anticancer drugs and other medicines, 6 months after the start of anticancer drug.MethodA single-center prospective study was conducted between January 2019 and 2020 on adult patients starting oral anticancer drugs and followed up in the Oncoral outpatient pathway. A 4 domains questionnaire was developed to assess patients' knowledge of: 1/ anticancer drug, 2/adverse effects, 3/symptomatic medications and 4/ the risk of interaction with medicinal plants. The assessment was carried out 1 month and 6 months after starting the anticancer drug.Results96 patients answered the questionnaire. Oral anticancer drugs were prescribed for malignant hemopathy (n = 55, 57%) or solid tumor (n = 41, 43%). Patients knowledge on self-administration of oral anticancer drugs and associated treatments, adverse effects and symptomatic medication and the risk of interaction with complementary medicines significantly improved over time (p < 0001). Discontinuous oral anticancer drugs schedules were associated with lower knowledge score than continuous. Health literacy was reported for 41% of patients and 56% had satisfactory level.ConclusionOncoral is the first multidisciplinary community-hospital follow-up program to demonstrate improved patient knowledge of self-administration of oral anticancer drugs and associated treatments, adverse effects and symptomatic medication and the risk of herb-drug interactions. Vulnerability factors associated with level of knowledge have not been identified and investigations should be extended to larger populations.