Nurse Programme
The role of the specialist nurse
When interferon beta-1b was first licensed in the USA in 1993 for the treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a significant number of patients withdrew soon after starting therapy. Often, they had not been warned that they might experience temporary but inconvenient side effects such as flu-like symptoms, injection site reactions and fatigue. Many of the patients who withdrew from therapy had not been given any educational literature, counselling or training in injection technique. However, neurological centres that had participated in clinical trials were better prepared to deal with the needs of new patients and most such centres offered patient education and counselling about interferon therapy from the outset. In general, these services were managed by nursing staff rather than neurologists.
Injectable treatments generally require active participation by both the patient and family. Patients starting on interferon beta 1-b treatment need help with giving regular injections. That is why the Betaplus® Nurse Programme has been established. Although interferon beta 1-b is supplied in easy-to-use, pre-filled syringes to be used with or without the auto-injectors Betaject comfort® or Betaject light® (where available) there are still important points about where, when and how to give the injections that need to be understood.
In Ireland, nurses are available who visit patients receiving interferon beta 1-b and their families in their homes to offer training and support in giving their treatment. Once the Betaplus® nurse is notified of a new patient she:
- Establishes contact with the patient
- Visits him or her and their family at home to train them in injection technique
- Continues to support them during treatment by telephone, if wished, on a regular basis
- Liases with the patient's GP
- Is available at all times for help and advice.
Advice offered
The nurses also mediate between neurologist on one side and patient on the other side, because they speak the “same language” as patients, and can explain difficult medical matters to the patient in his or her own words.
The typical advice offered by Betaplus® nurses includes:
- Where, when and how to inject interferon beta 1-b
- Dealing with possible side effects
- Realistic expectations of the effectiveness of treatment
- The need to continue with treatment as long as the doctor thinks that it is worthwhile.
