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A Discharge Summary Prompt Reduces Postoperative Radiotherapy Delay in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Andreja Radevic1, Niketna Vivek1, Joaquin Austerlitz1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Head & Neck
|June 17, 2026
Summary
Implementing a discharge summary prompt significantly reduced delays in postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. This simple intervention improves timely treatment initiation, potentially leading to better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiation Oncology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) delays beyond 6 weeks are linked to poorer outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC).
- Timely initiation of PORT is crucial for effective HNC treatment.
- Reducing treatment delays can improve patient prognosis and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic health record (EHR)-based discharge summary prompt in reducing PORT delays.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on the time to PORT initiation in HNC patients.
- To identify factors associated with PORT delays and time to treatment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 391 HNC patients (260 pre-intervention, 131 post-intervention) from 2018-2023.
- Implementation of an EHR-based discharge summary prompt in May 2023.
- Statistical evaluation using Kaplan-Meier, log-rank tests, logistic regression, and Cox modeling to analyze PORT delay rates and time to initiation.
Main Results:
- PORT delay decreased significantly from 74.2% pre-intervention to 46.6% post-intervention (p < 0.001).
- The discharge summary prompt was independently associated with a reduced likelihood of PORT delay (OR 0.28, p < 0.001).
- The intervention also correlated with faster PORT initiation (HR 2.05, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- A straightforward discharge summary prompt can effectively decrease postoperative radiotherapy delays in head and neck cancer patients.
- This EHR-based intervention offers a practical solution to improve treatment timeliness.
- Further implementation of such prompts could enhance HNC patient care pathways and outcomes.
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