The Development of Healthcare Service Guidelines for Breast Cancer Patients in a Specialized Clinic at Udonthani Hospital

Abstract

This action research aims to develop a service model for breast cancer patients at the specialized cancer clinic of Udonthani Hospital, utilizing the Deming Cycle as a continuous improvement framework. The process consists of four stages: (1) planning, (2) implementation, (3) evaluation, and (4) continuous improvement. The study involved 97 breast cancer patients, 97 caregivers, and 20 healthcare personnel and was conducted between March and May 2024. The research tools included (1) a breast cancer patient opinion questionnaire, (2) a service satisfaction and experience questionnaire, and (3) a service quality improvement opinion questionnaire.

The findings revealed that the service model for breast cancer patients in the specialized cancer clinic consists of five key components: (1) pre-screening before meeting the doctor, (2) consultation with the doctor, (3) self-care skill enhancement, (4) outpatient chemotherapy administration at the Day Care Center, and (5) discharge guidance. Before implementation, the total service duration was 10 hours and 16 minutes. After improvement, the service duration was reduced to 6 hours and 33 minutes. Regarding perceptions of the improvement of the service, both breast cancer patients and caregivers rated their opinions at a high level ( = 4.28, S.D. = 0.61) and ( = 4.13, S.D. = 0.48), respectively. In terms of satisfaction, prior to the improvement, satisfaction was at a moderate level ( = 3.42, S.D. = 0.89), whereas after the improvement, satisfaction with the service was rated at the highest level ( = 4.47, S.D. = 0.40).