Improving uniformity of care for colorectal cancers through National Quality Forum quality indicators at a Commission on Cancer-accredited community based teaching hospital.

The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) provides feedback on adherence to National Quality Forum (NQF)-endorsed measures to promote best outcomes in colorectal cancer. We examined the care delivered to patients with colorectal cancer at our institution and developed a protocol to enhance nodal retrieval and to ensure that patients with fewer than 12 nodes are considered for adjuvant chemotherapy. Few patients met the NQF criteria for adjuvant radiation. A protocol was developed to address this issue, and this provides a model for use in a multidisciplinary effort to improve adherence to measures associated with best outcomes in colorectal cancer.