Background: Patients’ perspectives provide valuable information on quality of care. This study evaluates the feasibility and validity of Internet administration of Service Satisfaction Scale for Cancer Care (SCA) to assess patient satisfaction with outcome, practitioner manner/skill, information, and waiting/access.Patients and methods: Primary data collected from November 2007 to April 2008. Patients receiving cancer care within 1 year were recruited from oncology, surgery, and radiation clinics at a tertiary care hospital. An Internet-based version of the 16-item SCA was developed. Participants were randomised to Internet SCA followed by paper SCA 2 weeks later or vice versa. Seven-point Likert scale responses were converted to a 0–100 scale (minimum–maximum satisfaction). Response distribution, Cronbach’s alpha, and test–retest correlations were calculated.Results: Among 122 consenting participants, 78 responded to initial SCA. Mean satisfaction scores for paper/Internet were 91/90 (outcome), 95/94 (practitioner manner/skill), 89/90 (information), and 86/86 (waiting/access). Response rate and item missingness were similar for Internet and paper. Except for practitioner manner/skill, test–retest correlations were robust r = 0.77 (outcome), 0.74 (information), and 0.75 (waiting/access) (all P < 0.001).Conclusions: Internet SCA administration is a feasible and a valid measurement of cancer care satisfaction for a wide range of cancer diagnoses, treatment modalities, and clinic settings.

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Access to mental health providers has become an increasingly common challenge for many patients with depression and anxiety disorders. Primary care providers often manage this gap in care and currently provide solo care without the assistance of other team members. In order to provide quality care that aligns with best practice, we developed a depression and anxiety disorder treatment pathway utilizing a multidisciplinary team based on each members' individual skill set, or skill-task alignment. The main change to treatment implemented by the pathway was the addition of a clinical pharmacist in the management of patient care. This pathway was trialed over five months targeting two adult primary care teams (approximately 34 physicians and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners [ARNPs]) while the other five teams continued with current practice standards. Post-implementation metrics indicated that clinical pharmacists successfully contacted 55% (406 of 738) of patients started on medication or who had a medication changed. Of these patients reached, 82 (20%) had an intervention completed. In addition, all physician leaders on the planning team (n=6) stated the new pathway was well received and delivered positive feedback from team members.

A series of quality improvement interventions to increase discussions about advance care planning and capture of advance care directives in the EMR significantly increased the rate of capture in primary care and specialty care outpatient settings.

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