Nasoenteric feeding discharge planning for cancer patients in a Brazilian teaching hospital: a best practice implementation project.

Objectives: The objective of this project was to improve local practice in nasoenteric feeding discharge planning for cancer patients in a cancer teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.

Introduction: Nasoenteric tubes are commonly used for enteral nutrition in patients with cancer for over seven days during their recovery and this may be continued at home, with clear benefits.

Results: Baseline audit results indicated poor compliance (between 0% and 22%) with the current evidence, although good compliance (100%) was observed for three audit criteria. Implementation of the strategies, including changes to achieve higher participation of caregivers, resulted in an improvement of the audited criteria (100% compliance was maintained for three criteria, compliance increased from 22% to 67% for a further three criteria, with 0% compliance for one criterion).

Conclusions: Despite the short time frame of this study, an increase in compliance with best practices proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was observed. Implementing a multidisciplinary meeting before patient discharge remains a challenge.