Establishment of a nurse-led clinic for late complications after colorectal and anal cancer surgery: a descriptive study

Purpose Survival rates after colorectal and anal cancer are increasing and more patients have late complications to treatment. This represents a clinical field under development, and we have established a specialized clinic for late complications after colorectal and anal cancer. With this paper, we want to give our experiences and present the organizational setup with a nurse as the primary contact person. Methods We have established a multidisciplinary clinic for the treatment of late complications and the clinic is organized with specialized nurses as the front persons. The structure includes a stepwise increase in expertise level when needed, and the patient has one common entry regardless of symptoms. Initial screening is performed by an electronic questionnaire which is followed up by a consultation with the nurse. The nurse can provide primary treatment according to local algorithms developed in the clinic and refer the patient to more specialized care if needed. Results Experiences from the first year of service show that more than half of the patients needs this and wants consultation in the late complication clinic. We also found that most of the consultations were performed successfully by phone instead of by physical visits, and the most common clinical problem was bowel symptoms including diarrhea and urge. Conclusion We have established a nurse-led clinic for late complications after colorectal and anal cancer. There seems to be a high need for this function in a department taking care of colorectal and anal cancer.

Automated summary

A specialized clinic has been established to handle late complications after colorectal and anal cancer, with nurses as the primary contact persons, offering initial screening and treatment through electronic questionnaires and nurse consultations. Experiences from the first year of service show a high demand for consultations in the clinic, with most consultations successfully conducted over the phone, and the most common clinical issue being bowel symptoms such as diarrhea and urge.