Adherence to Measuring What Matters Items When Caring for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Versus Solid Tumors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Palliative Care
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Palliative care is crucial for patients with hematologic malignancies, yet their unique needs are understudied.
• Measuring What Matters (MWM) provides quality metrics for palliative care.
• Adherence to MWM in hematologic malignancy care may reveal quality improvement opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare palliative care clinicians' adherence to MWM quality measures for patients with hematologic malignancies versus solid tumors.

Main Methods:

• A Quality Data Collection Tool assessed MWM measure completion across nine sites.
• Data from 678 initial palliative care visits were analyzed.
• Patients were categorized into hematologic malignancy (64) or solid tumor (614) groups.

Main Results:

• High adherence (>90%) was observed for pain treatment, spiritual concerns, and treatment preferences, irrespective of tumor type.
• Clinicians showed significantly lower adherence for screening physical symptoms (57.8% vs. 84.2%) and discussing emotional needs (56.3% vs. 70.0%) in hematologic malignancy patients.
• Hematologic malignancy patients were more often treated in hospitals, while solid tumor patients received care at home or in clinics.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to MWM measures for symptom assessment and emotional support was lower for patients with hematologic malignancies.
• These findings indicate specific areas for targeted quality improvement initiatives in palliative care for hematologic malignancy patients.