Continuous quality management for complex blood cancers in Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network.

Abstract

59 Background: Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network (SCBCN) is a network of seven markets dedicated to provide high quality and safe care to patients with complex blood cancers. Continuous quality management (QM) and improving patient safety are critical components to the mission of SCBCN. Methods: Four SCBCN disease-specific working groups have developed evidence-based pathways for complex blood cancers. However, there are currently no SCBCN clinical quality of care metrics to monitor value-based care. To address this unmet need, the SCBCN leadership endorsed a team-based approach to measure QM for complex blood cancers, using basic clinical performance metrics proposed by the American Society of Hematology, the American Medical Association-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Quality Measures Clearinghouse, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Results: Between 2012 and September 2015, 1221 new adult cases of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and 253 new adult cases of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), respectively, were reported within the SCBCN. Based on the volume of cases and to measure QM in AML and MDS, quality indicators were selected based on meaningfulness to program goals and feasibility of data capture, leading to development of quality metrics dashboard for AML and MDS in SCBCN. Also, keeping in mind the changing paradigm of personalized care using new and emerging therapies in AML and MDS, exploratory quality metrics are also proposed to evaluate access to new trials as QM of AML and MDS in SCBCN. Conclusions: SCBCN is a wide network of community hospitals with expertise in managing complex blood cancers. As proof of concept study, the AML and MDS dashboard was developed and chosen as a model for continuous QM for complex blood cancers. This dashboard will initially be tested to evaluate QM at two SCBCN sites to facilitate the overarching programmatic goal of continuous QM for all AML/MDS and other blood cancers presenting within the SCBCN.