CareChart: After Hours Oncology Nursing Support Across Ontario

Cancer symptoms don’t stop when clinics close. For patients undergoing active cancer treatment, evenings, weekends and holidays can be some of the most difficult times to manage side effects, seek advice or decide whether urgent care is needed.

Across Ontario, CareChart is connecting patients with oncology-trained nurses after hours. This helps patients manage their symptoms at home, avoid unnecessary emergency department visits and feel supported throughout their cancer journey.

Care When Patients Need It Most

CareChart is an after-hours nursing symptom management service for adult patients receiving cancer treatment in Ontario. Funded by Ontario Health, the service is available at no cost to patients during evenings, weekends and holidays. Support is available in English and French, with interpretation services offered in more than 300 languages and can be accessed by phone, video call or mobile app.

Measurable Impacts Across the System

CareChart has had important impacts on patients and the health care system. In 2025:

• The service handled an average of 2,724 calls per month
• Nearly 2,000 unique callers accessed support each month
• 97% of calls were answered within five minutes

Most patient concerns are resolved through clinical guidance and self-management strategies provided by nurses. Only about 25% of callers are referred to an emergency department for further assessment. This service is estimated to prevent more than 5,000 emergency department visits each year, saving approximately $3.8 million and helping ease pressure on hospitals according to a 2023 study published by the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal.

“Providing timely support after hours is critical for patients going through cancer treatment. CareChart ensures that people across Ontario have access to trusted oncology guidance when they need it most, keeping them safe and helping them with support throughout their care journey,” said Maritza Carvalho, Provincial Head of Oncology Nursing, Ontario Health.

Supporting Patients at Home

CareChart nurses use evidence-based tools and standardized clinical pathways to guide care decisions, ensuring patients receive consistent, high-quality advice on their symptoms.

The service supports patients with many cancer types, most commonly gastrointestinal, hematological, breast, lung and gynecological cancers. Common concerns include pain, nausea, fever, febrile neutropenia and treatment-related questions.

For patients, the impact goes beyond clinical guidance:

Keeping Care Teams Connected

CareChart is designed to complement care provided by cancer clinics. After each call, a clinical summary is shared with the patient’s cancer centre or hospital, allowing care teams to review concerns and follow up if needed. This information sharing helps ensure after hours support remains aligned with each patient’s treatment plan and ongoing care.

A Model for Patient Support

As cancer care continues to evolve, CareChart demonstrates how integrated, patient-centred solutions can improve access to timely, specialized support. By ensuring patients have trusted oncology guidance after hours, this helps ensure no one faces cancer treatment without the care they need.