Summary of the causative and treatment factors of diarrhea and the use of a diarrhea assessment and treatment tool to improve patient outcomes.

This article is a review of the causative factors and pharmacologic treatments of diarrhea. This information was incorporated into a Diarrhea Assessment and Treatment Tool (DATT) to guide clinicians on comprehensive diarrhea assessment and current treatment recommendations. The tool was utilized at a university-affiliated oncology institution by a clinical nurse specialist on 26 patients as a performance improvement project.