Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed cancer treatment outcomes. However, these therapies can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ system, sometimes requiring specialized expertise. As ICIs are increasingly used across vario...

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Main Authors: Khashayar Esfahani, John Walker, Kevin Bambury, Eoin O’Carroll, Stephanie Snow
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/3/140
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author Khashayar Esfahani
John Walker
Kevin Bambury
Eoin O’Carroll
Stephanie Snow
author_facet Khashayar Esfahani
John Walker
Kevin Bambury
Eoin O’Carroll
Stephanie Snow
author_sort Khashayar Esfahani
collection DOAJ
description The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed cancer treatment outcomes. However, these therapies can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ system, sometimes requiring specialized expertise. As ICIs are increasingly used across various tumor types and in earlier treatment settings, not all practitioners have the necessary support network to handle complex irAEs. To address this gap, we collaborated with ONCOassist, a leading app for oncology professionals, to establish the first virtual Canadian Community of Practice (CoP) focused on irAEs. The CoP facilitates continuous learning and improves patient care among Canadian clinicians treating patients with immunotherapy by providing a platform for knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer support. This article outlines the development and growth of the CoP on irAEs, highlighting both successes and challenges. As of May 2024, over a year since its inception, the CoP on irAEs has attracted almost 130 Canadian oncology healthcare professionals, and peer-to-peer interactions and engagement continue to increase. To ensure its long-term sustainability, we plan to evolve and adapt the CoP to meet the needs of the oncology community and address clinical challenges associated with new therapies.
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series Current Oncology
spelling doaj-art-4c68c9809d934f0487db77e87bb3f4bb2025-08-20T03:43:30ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292025-02-0132314010.3390/curroncol32030140Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse EventsKhashayar Esfahani0John Walker1Kevin Bambury2Eoin O’Carroll3Stephanie Snow4Department of Oncology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, CanadaCross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, CanadaONCOassist, V93 T8K7 Killarney, IrelandONCOassist, V93 T8K7 Killarney, IrelandQEII Health Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1V8, CanadaThe advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed cancer treatment outcomes. However, these therapies can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ system, sometimes requiring specialized expertise. As ICIs are increasingly used across various tumor types and in earlier treatment settings, not all practitioners have the necessary support network to handle complex irAEs. To address this gap, we collaborated with ONCOassist, a leading app for oncology professionals, to establish the first virtual Canadian Community of Practice (CoP) focused on irAEs. The CoP facilitates continuous learning and improves patient care among Canadian clinicians treating patients with immunotherapy by providing a platform for knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer support. This article outlines the development and growth of the CoP on irAEs, highlighting both successes and challenges. As of May 2024, over a year since its inception, the CoP on irAEs has attracted almost 130 Canadian oncology healthcare professionals, and peer-to-peer interactions and engagement continue to increase. To ensure its long-term sustainability, we plan to evolve and adapt the CoP to meet the needs of the oncology community and address clinical challenges associated with new therapies.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/3/140irAEimmune checkpoint inhibitorcommunity of practicemobile application
spellingShingle Khashayar Esfahani
John Walker
Kevin Bambury
Eoin O’Carroll
Stephanie Snow
Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
Current Oncology
irAE
immune checkpoint inhibitor
community of practice
mobile application
title Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
title_full Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
title_fullStr Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
title_short Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events
title_sort enhancing care through a virtual canadian community of practice for managing immune related adverse events
topic irAE
immune checkpoint inhibitor
community of practice
mobile application
url https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/3/140
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