Introduction:
The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) is a program that examines the performance of oncology practices against a set of standards in the delivery of cancer care. This pilot study aims to understand the process of data collection involved in QOPI participation and to identify potential areas of quality improvement.
Methods:
Cabrini Health participated in QOPI modules relating to core, breast and ovarian measures. Retrospective data collection was undertaken between March and June 2020 using multiple sources including private physician patient records, hospital medical records and the electronic oncology information management system CHARM. Data was submitted into ASCO’s online data collection and reporting system for analysis.
Results:
Data was collected from a total of 61 patients with either breast or ovarian cancer. Cabrini performed above the QOPI standard in 9 out of 11 applicable measures in the breast cancer module. All patients had complete staging, HER2 testing and were recommended and given combination chemotherapy or hormonal therapy within an appropriate timeframe. In the core domain, performance was consistent with or better than the QOPI standard in 8 out of 30 measures. Areas for improvement include the appropriate assessment of pain and emotional well-being at initial consultation, clearer documentation regarding chemotherapy consent and intent of treatment, and provision of a treatment summary upon completion of chemotherapy. Of the 5 applicable ovarian cancer measures, 2 scored above the QOPI standard with issues identified relating to operative management of patients undergoing cytoreduction.
Conclusion:
Cabrini Health was the first institution in Australia to participate in the QOPI program. The process was challenging because of multiple data sources. There was clear benefit in data collection from having an associated comprehensive database in breast cancer. The QOPI has indicated areas of excellent performance but also highlights processes in the provision of care that require attention.