Despite the high incidence of constipation in people with cancer, there is little research on management strategies for opioid-induced constipation (OIC). This project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act model to examine implementation of the Oncology Nursing Society GuidelinesTM to improve constipation management in patients with cancer. Nurse champions at four sites identified practice gaps, including providing education on OIC for patients who are new to opioids and increasing follow-up assessment. This project demonstrates that multisite, collaborative projects are feasible and may enhance patient quality of life and decrease anticipated complications.
Keywords: evidence-based practice; opioid-induced constipation; symptom management.