Improving Practice in a Head and Neck Oncology Clinic Using the PRO-CTCAE Tool

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Head and neck cancer patients experience numerous treatment-related side effects.
• Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are crucial for effective cancer care management.
• Adverse event monitoring is essential for patient safety and treatment adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement the patient-reported outcome version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) measurement system.
• To reduce the number of patient hydration visits.
• To assess healthcare provider satisfaction with the PRO-CTCAE survey.

Main Methods:

• Quality improvement project utilizing the PRO-CTCAE survey.
• Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test for data analysis.
• Comparison of hydration visits before and after PRO-CTCAE implementation.

Main Results:

• High survey response rate of 91.2% (excluding telehealth visits).
• Significant increase in hydration visits from 23.5% to 38.5% post-implementation (p < .001).
• Overwhelmingly positive provider satisfaction with the PRO-CTCAE survey.

Conclusions:

• The PRO-CTCAE survey facilitates timely patient symptom reporting and management.
• Integration of PRO-CTCAE enhances efficient communication between patients and providers.
• PRO-CTCAE is a valuable component of a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care.