Measuring Advanced Practice Provider Productivity at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Member Institutions.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Administration
• Advanced Practice Provider Roles

Background:

• The role of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in oncology has significantly expanded.
• There is a lack of standardized methods for evaluating APP contributions in cancer care settings.
• The NCCN Best Practices Committee (BPC) formed a dedicated APP Workgroup to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey NCCN Member Institutions on their current methods for measuring APP productivity.
• To analyze the effectiveness of existing metrics, such as relative value units (RVUs).
• To develop evidence-based recommendations for assessing APP productivity in oncology.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to NCCN Member Institutions to gather data on APP productivity measurement.
• Survey results were analyzed to identify common practices and APP perceptions of these metrics.
• The study reviewed the limitations of RVU-based productivity assessments.

Main Results:

• While 54% of centers use RVU targets for independent APP visits, 88% of APPs find RVUs ineffective for measuring overall productivity.
• RVUs fail to account for essential non-billable tasks performed by APPs in oncology practices.
• A majority of APPs (66%) favor team-based productivity measures over individual metrics.

Conclusions:

• Oncology practices should prioritize metrics that reflect the overall value APPs bring to patient care delivery.
• Recommended productivity metrics should encompass patient volume, quality of care, and contributions to team-based care.
• A comprehensive approach, including non-RVU activities and quality indicators, offers a more accurate assessment of APP productivity and value.