Quality Indicators in Palliative Radiation Oncology: Development and Pilot Testing.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Quality indicators (QIs) are essential for evaluating healthcare quality.
• Few QIs currently exist for palliative radiation oncology.
• There is a need to assess and improve care in palliative radiation therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot test quality indicators for palliative radiation therapy.
• To specifically address QIs for bone and brain metastases.
• To enhance the quality of care in palliative radiation oncology.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi method was employed with an expert panel of 8 radiation oncologists and 1 Delphi expert.
• Online meetings and e-mail surveys were used to develop QIs for bone and brain metastases.
• Pilot surveys at 5 facilities assessed the feasibility of QI measurement.

Main Results:

• Four QIs for bone metastases and three QIs for brain metastases were successfully developed.
• The validity of the developed QIs was confirmed through email surveys.
• Feasibility of measurement was validated through pilot surveys.

Conclusions:

• Valid and feasible quality indicators for palliative radiation therapy for bone and brain metastases have been established.
• These QIs are expected to help bridge the evidence-practice gap in palliative radiation oncology.
• The developed QIs provide a framework for quality assessment in this specialized field.