Precision-Based Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Background: Precision-based approaches are reshaping healthcare by tailoring assessments and therapies to a patient's individual needs. To ensure nursing remains integral to this evolving landscape, active collaboration with multidisciplinary teams is essential. Nurses must understand the clinical implications of genomic testing, be provided educational opportunities, and understand the patient and parent perspectives of precision-based care. Thus, the nurse is empowered to translate research into advancing patient-centered care. Objective: This review presents our multidisciplinary team's approach to understanding the educational needs of nurses and physicians, as well as patient and parent perspectives of precision-based care, along with key nursing considerations. Method: This is a process paper describing one institution's journey through in-depth inquiries identifying knowledge gaps related to genomic testing of tumor and germline tissues, consenting, pharmacogenetics, and gene therapy. We also explored expectations held by patients and their families surrounding testing and return of results. Results: Our findings offer key insights, including the need for education of healthcare providers, equitable patient education and access to pharmacogenomic and cancer genomic testing, ethical complexities within the consenting process, and perspectives from parents and patients on clinical genomics and gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Conclusion: The findings from this institution's efforts may help guide or inform other institutions working to deliver precision-based oncology and hematology care. Nurses must be equipped with expertise to advocate effectively for patients and families. In doing so, they can guide them through the opportunities and challenges of precision-based care.