An Assessment of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative: Lessons Learned From a Detailed Assessment of a Well-Established Profession-Based Performance Measurement Program.

Background: National performance measurement programs used to improve quality and/or accountability are prevalent. Professional society-based programs largely assess practice or provider performance. We tested the limitations of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI), a well-established program.

Reduction of Inappropriate Prophylactic Pegylated Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Use for Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Who Receive Chemotherapy: An ASCO Quality Training Program Project of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute.

Purpose: Routine prophylactic pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (pGCSF) administration for patients receiving chemotherapy regimens associated with low risk (< 10%) for neutropenic fever (LRNF) is not recommended. Inappropriate use of pGCSF increases patient morbidity and health care costs.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team reviewed the charts of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the Taussig Cancer Institute in whom a new chemotherapy regimen was initiated from April through November 2013.

ReCAP: Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Pilot Program to Facilitate Quality Improvement Learning in Oncology: Experience of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Training Program.

Purpose: Studies have demonstrated that structured training programs can improve health professionals' skills in performing clinical care or research. We sought to develop and test a novel quality training program (QTP) tailored to oncology clinicians.

Methods: The American Society of Clinical Oncology QTP consisted of three in-person learning sessions and four phases: prework, planning, implementation, and sustain and spread.

Identification of potentially avoidable hospitalizations in patients with GI cancer.

Purpose: To identify and characterize potentially avoidable hospitalizations in patients with GI malignancies.

Patients And Methods: We compiled a retrospective series of sequential hospital admissions in patients with GI cancer. Patients were admitted to an inpatient medical oncology or palliative care service between December 2011 and July 2012.

Standardization of initial chemotherapy teaching to improve care.

Recognizing that each nurse approaches patient education differently, a team of nurses at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute satellite facilities employed quality improvement strategies to develop a standardized approach to patient education. The goal was to eliminate variation in teaching and improve patient satisfaction scores.