Lung Cancer Screening in the Community Setting.

Background: Lung cancer has high incidence and high mortality burden, particularly because it is typically diagnosed in later stages. The National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated a lung cancer-specific mortality benefit in high-risk current and former smokers with yearly low-dose chest computed tomography (CT). Lung cancer screening is thus recommended, but it is unclear whether the results of the National Lung Screening Trial can be replicated in community settings.

Measuring end-of-life care in oncology practices: learning from the care of the dying.

Background: There is increased interest among oncology and palliative professionals in providing appropriately timed hospice services for cancer patients. End of life (EoL) metrics have been included in oncology quality programs, but accurate EoL data and benchmarks are hard to obtain.

Objective: To improve EoL care by measuring patterns of care among recently deceased patients.

A supportive care clinic for cancer patients embedded within an oncology practice.

Background: Most cancer patients have symptoms from their disease or treatment. Symptoms are not ideally managed in the context of busy clinics, resulting in potentially avoidable emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Adjunct supportive care clinics (SCCs) may more effectively address patient needs, but they contribute to fractionation of care if different personnel are involved.

Reduction in chemotherapy order errors with computerized physician order entry.

Purpose: To measure the number and type of errors associated with chemotherapy order composition associated with three sequential methods of ordering: handwritten orders, preprinted orders, and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) embedded in the electronic health record.

Materials And Methods: From 2008 to 2012, a sample of completed chemotherapy orders were reviewed by a pharmacist for the number and type of errors as part of routine performance improvement monitoring. Error frequencies for each of the three distinct methods of composing chemotherapy orders were compared using statistical methods.