Quality Care in Survivorship: Lessons Learned From the ASCO Quality Oncology Practice Initiative

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Quality Improvement
• Cancer Survivorship

Background:

• The ASCO Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) was established to assess the impact of clinical guidelines on everyday cancer care.
• Evaluating adherence to survivorship care recommendations is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of guideline recommendations on routine clinical practice within oncology.
• To analyze trends in adherence to specific quality measures related to cancer survivorship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 839 unique practices collected between Fall 2015 and Spring 2019.
• Focused on six quality measures related to cancer survivorship domains.
• Employed a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model to assess trends over time, adjusting for practice-level variables.

Main Results:

• Significant increases observed in smoking cessation counseling (50%-61%) and discussion of infertility risks (36%-53%).
• Fertility options discussion/referral also rose (23%-38%).
• Tumor marker surveillance adherence increased (78%-87%), while imaging for early breast cancer showed no significant trend.

Conclusions:

• Quality metrics, driven by guideline recommendations, are increasingly vital as evidence for cancer survivorship care expands.
• The study demonstrates a positive trend in the implementation of key survivorship care elements.