Establishing metastatic prostate cancer quality indicators using a modified Delphi approach

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Urology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Significant variation exists in the care provided to men with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa).
• No prior international quality indicators (QIs) specifically addressed mPCa management.
• This gap highlights the need for standardized measures to assess and improve care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive set of international, mPCa-specific quality indicators.
• To establish a benchmark for evaluating the quality of care provided to men with mPCa globally.
• To promote consistency and best practices in mPCa management.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi process involving 14 multidisciplinary experts from eight countries.
• Literature review to identify potential QIs, followed by online surveys and meetings.
• Indicators were selected based on expert consensus regarding importance and feasibility (median scores ≥ 7.5).

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on 23 quality indicators out of 662 initially identified.
• The indicators cover general management (4), therapies (12), complications (3), and patient-reported quality of life (4).
• A limitation noted is the relatively small size of the expert panel.

Conclusions:

• The developed QI set provides a framework for understanding and improving global mPCa care standards.
• These indicators will facilitate benchmarking and promote consistent, high-quality care for men with mPCa.
• Future research will involve evaluating compliance with these indicators through retrospective and prospective studies.