The impact of staff training on body temperature measurements during cancer treatment: a single-site quality improvement project

Journal article

Background: Neutropenic sepsis is a serious complication of cancer therapy, and can often be detected by the presence of abnormal body temperature (typically fever).

Aims: To improve home temperature measurement in a UK Cancer Triage Unit following a previous audit.

Methods: We carried out quality improvement using a PDSA framework. We educated triage staff in the importance of home temperature measurement. We compared recorded temperature measurements and advice given to 18,886 patients in the pre- and post-intervention periods.

Findings: The proportion of triage line contacts in which a home temperature was recorded increased by 8.93% (95% CI 7.49 to 10.36%). The proportion of contacts where patients were advised to attend the triage unit after an abnormal body temperature increased by 6.41% (95% CI 2.93 to 9.90%). Body temperature at home remained higher than that measured in hospital.

Conclusion: Adherence to national guidelines improved following education, but there may still be scope for improving the measurement of home body temperature.

Authors: Fleming, SG; Clair, M; Graham, M; Hannah, V

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: MA Healthcare
• Journal: British Journal of Nursing
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-13
• EISSN: 2052-2819
• ISSN: 0966-0461
• Language: English
• Keywords: body temperature; thermometry; infection; sepsis; febrile neutropenia; chemotherapy; radiotherapy; triage