A successful physician-led multidisciplinary approach to process improvement for inpatient chemotherapy

In 1991, Henry Ford Hospital established a physician-led, multidisciplinary chemotherapy DRG task force charged with examining and improving the clinical and support processes relating to inpatient chemotherapy. While the goal of this effort was to improve cost management, quality improvement philosophy and methods were applied. This task force developed two short-stay protocols, reducing the length of hospitalization from three days to one for high-dose cisplatin regimens, and from five to only two days for combined chemotherapy/radiation therapy regimens. This article shares insights regarding the types of improvements and methods that were used, the effective involvement of physicians, and the use of administrative and staff support to accelerate the improvement effort and leverage clinicians' time.