Driving performance improvement using ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI).

Abstract

203 Background: Defining and quantifying quality care is a challenge for cancer care providers. Since 2007 St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) has been participating in QOPI and was one of 23 practices that received the inaugural QOPI Certification in June 2010. The goal of participation is to benchmark MSTI’s performance with oncology practices across the nation and identify areas for improvement that are recognized as national quality standards. Methods: After each round of QOPI data abstraction, physician and administrative leadership selected measures with the greatest opportunity for improvement. Monthly chart audits for each measure were completed and the results were shared with individual staff to increase education and accountability. In Spring 2010, the education assessment in MSTI’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) was redesigned to facilitate efficient documentation and data collection of smoking cessation counseling. In July 2011, the performance improvement (PI) team created “Quality Checklists (QCL)” in MSTI’s EMR for three different QOPI measures: i) signed chemotherapy consent, ii) smoking cessation counseling, and iii) assessment of emotional well-being. To ensure signed chemotherapy consent, one QCL included a reminder sent by the primary nurse or secretary to the chemotherapy infusion nurses. To ensure smoking cessation counseling and assessment of emotional well-being by social work, the other QCL included an alert sent by the new patient representative to the primary nurse and social worker. Results: Signed chemotherapy consent improved from 10% (n=229) in 2007 to 100% (n=117) in 2012. Smoking cessation counseling improved from 13% (n=40) in 2007 to 93% (n=272) in 2012. Assessment of emotional well-being improved from 78% (n=302) in 2007 to 95% (n=120) in 2012. Of the patients that had problems with emotional well-being, 73% (n=55) in 2007 had their problems addressed and 95% (n=41) in 2012. Conclusions: QOPI has provided MSTI with the initiatives and benchmarks to quantify quality cancer care. By combining participation in QOPI and ongoing PI data collection, analysis, and action plan implementation MSTI has enjoyed marked improvements in quality.