Impact of the clinical nurse specialist role for the myeloproliferative neoplasm program: Part One – From timeliness of triage to cost-saving

Abstract

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of rare clonal disorders of hematopoietic progenitor cells associated with disease-related symptoms, thrombotic events, and risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (Tefferi, 2021). The relative rarity and complexity of care led to the establishment of the MPN program at the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Centre. The MPN program utilizes a shared-care model wherein partnering with local hematologists (shared-care partners) ensures that patients have access to an MPN specialist while continuing to receive care close to home (Cheung et al., 2021). The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role was implemented in late 2016 to support not only the shared-care model, but also to triage new patient referrals, and support consultation and follow-up. Although the CNS roles have been part of the healthcare system since the 1940s, the role and its impact remain unclear at times to the inter-disciplinary team. This paper will describe the process and results from evaluating the CNS role’s impact in the MPN program using a multimethod approach. This is part one of two papers; herein the quantitative findings are presented, and part two will discuss the qualitative findings.