University of Washington are at the forefront of delivering care to patients with cancer during this public health crisis. This Special Feature highlights the unique circumstances and challenges of cancer treatment amidst this global pandemic, and the importance of organizational structure, preparation, agility, and a shared vision for continuing to provide cancer treatment to patients in the face of uncertainty and rapid change.
Background Influenza is a major complication in cancer and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We set out to maximize influenza vaccination rates in healthcare personnel at our large ambulatory cancer center with high baseline compliance and to assess alternatives to mandatory policies. Methods Baseline influenza vaccine compliance rates at our center were over 85%. In 2011 an incentive-based “carrot” campaign was implemented, and in 2012 a penalty-based “stick” approach to declining staff was required. Yearly approaches were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Results Both the incentive and penalty approaches significantly improved upon the baseline rates of vaccination (2010 vs. 2011 [p=0.0001]; 2010 vs. 2012 [p<0.0001), but 2012 significantly improved over 2011 (p<0.0001). Staff with direct patient contact had significantly higher rates of vaccination when compared to those with indirect and minimal contact in every campaign year, except in the penalty-driven campaign from 2012 (p<0.001, <0.001, 0.24, and p<0.001, <0.001, 0.17, respectively). Conclusion A multifaceted staff vaccination program that included education, training and active declination was more effective than one offering incentives. Improvements in vaccination rates in the penalty-driven campaign were driven by staff without direct care responsibilities. High compliance with system-wide influenza vaccination was achieved without requiring mandatory vaccination.
18 Background: ASCO 2012 Choosing Wisely recommends against serum tumor marker tests and advanced imaging for breast cancer survivors who are asymptomatic for recurrence. Our pilot aimed to measure and raise adherence to this recommendation through a patient video at regional community clinics. Methods: Eligibility for study included patients with 1+ long-term follow-up visit within 3 months of end of treatment in the pre- or post-intervention period: Clinic tumor registries were queried for stage I-IIIA breast cancer patients treated with curative intent. The intervention included 1) academic detailing for oncologists at a regular meeting and 2) a video about the recommendation shown to patients at end of active treatment. Surveillance data was manually abstracted. We define adherence as no asymptomatic tests in the first 13 months of surveillance. Results: Advanced imaging adherence was high before and after the intervention (99-100%). Tumor marker (TM) adherence is in the table. Six of seven providers with low (<60%) TM adherence before the intervention maintained low TM adherence after. One provider with low TM adherence and all 3 providers with moderate (60-90%) TM adherence increased to high TM adherence (>90%). TM adherence was better among patients who viewed the video (130 of 145, 90%) than those who did not (452 of 556, 81%) in the post-intervention period. The higher TM adherence among patients who viewed the video and the wide range in adherence among providers suggest that tumor marker use may be both patient- and provider-driven. Population characteristics may explain some of the variation in adherence. Conclusions: While adherence to recommendations regarding high-cost imaging was high, wide variation in tumor marker adherence among providers and high baseline adherence for advanced imaging suggests that interventions targeting surveillance testing may wish to focus primarily on tumor markers and provider outreach. [Table: see text]
This commentary is a call to action: that all patients with cancer and their families should receive care that aligns with their values and unique priorities. This is the vision of the Improving Goal Concordant Care (IGCC) Initiative, convened by the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (ADCC).
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the treatment of lung cancer has changed dramatically. New treatments are improving survival outcomes for patients but have led to dramatic increases in cost. In a value-based payment system, patients should have access to comprehensive outcome measurements, including survival rates, quality of life, and cost. High value in cancer care will optimize the outcomes that matter to patients relative to cost.
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