Using a collaborative approach for rapid deployment of advance care planning in the outpatient oncology setting.

Abstract

255 Background: The Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium (MOQC) is a quality collaborative supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan with the goal of improving cancer care in Michigan by using data gathered as part of the national Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) program. In spring 2014, MOQC launched a statewide collaborative focused on advance care planning (ACP) with the following aim: to provide training and resources on how to engage patients in a discussion of goals, preferences, and priorities for care. Methods: The collaborative was comprised of three half day learning sessionsthat included an overview of legal and documentation requirements, and facilitator-lead role play with patient actors. Lean resources (templates, workflows) to support standard work in the clinic were disseminated. Eight oncology practices participated ranging in size from 1-25 physicians. ASCO QOPI data were analyzed pre and post collaborative in spring 2014 and spring 2015. Results: Improvement in QOPI performance from spring 2014 to 2015 on “hospice enrollment, palliative care referral/services, or documented discussion” (73.8% to 77.6%) and “for patients not referred, hospice or palliative care discussed within the last 2 months of life” (17.7% to 23.9%) was noted for participating practices (n = 8). Collaborative participants also compared favorably to all other MOQC practices (n = 47) in spring 2015 on “hospice enrollment, palliative care referral or documented discussion” (77.6% vs. 66.2%) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Use of a collaborative education modelthat includes facilitator-lead role play and dissemination of lean resources to create standard work may be an efficient and effective approach to improve discussion and documentation of advance care planning.