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Closing the Loop: Optimizing Oncology Care Coordination for Veterans
Purpose/Rationale: In order to improve cancer care coordination (CCC) a quality improvement pilot study was performed using a novel tracking tool for Veterans at the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) located in Dallas, Texas.
Background: The VANTHCS is the second largest VA health care system in the country, serving over 113,000 Veterans and delivering one million outpatient episodes of care each year. Cancer is one of the leading causes of these episodes of care. This specific population faces unique needs due to the complexity of cancer care. Particularly, newly diagnosed cancer patients are at risk for being lost to follow up, receiving timeliness of care as well as having interruptions in communication among providers and Veterans. Cancer care coordination has been shown to augment the quality of cancer care. Prior to the initiation of this study, there was no cancer care tracking tool in place and no comprehensive CCC across the continuum at VANTHCS.
Methods: In April 2017, discussion was initiated among the key cancer care providing stakeholders to formulate a plan to identify all Veteran patients newly diagnosed with cancer at VANTHCS. Utilizing histopathology and cytology reports from VistA, we developed an interface that displayed Veterans with new cancer diagnoses. This system was put in place to capture initial date of diagnosis and
monitor scheduled patient appointments through the date of initial treatments. A plan-do-study-act (PDSA) was conducted to assess for any changes.
Results: From May 2017 through May 2018, data were collected and analyzed in the Cancer Care Tracking Tool by a designated registered nurse (RN); approximately 1,400 newly diagnosed cancer cases were tracked. Fifty-three cases were identified requiring an intervention. This tracking prompted discussion with key cancer stakeholders for the need of a cancer program clinical coordinator (CPCC). A full-time CPCC was appointed in February 2018.
Conclusions/Implications: This innovative study presented an original approach to improve the quality of cancer care for Veterans. Through the Cancer Care Tracking Tool the RN and CPCC actively identified and addressed barriers to cancer care. This may have numerous implications for future studies including, patient satisfaction and enhanced patient outcomes.
Purpose/Rationale: In order to improve cancer care coordination (CCC) a quality improvement pilot study was performed using a novel tracking tool for Veterans at the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) located in Dallas, Texas.
Background: The VANTHCS is the second largest VA health care system in the country, serving over 113,000 Veterans and delivering one million outpatient episodes of care each year. Cancer is one of the leading causes of these episodes of care. This specific population faces unique needs due to the complexity of cancer care. Particularly, newly diagnosed cancer patients are at risk for being lost to follow up, receiving timeliness of care as well as having interruptions in communication among providers and Veterans. Cancer care coordination has been shown to augment the quality of cancer care. Prior to the initiation of this study, there was no cancer care tracking tool in place and no comprehensive CCC across the continuum at VANTHCS.
Methods: In April 2017, discussion was initiated among the key cancer care providing stakeholders to formulate a plan to identify all Veteran patients newly diagnosed with cancer at VANTHCS. Utilizing histopathology and cytology reports from VistA, we developed an interface that displayed Veterans with new cancer diagnoses. This system was put in place to capture initial date of diagnosis and
monitor scheduled patient appointments through the date of initial treatments. A plan-do-study-act (PDSA) was conducted to assess for any changes.
Results: From May 2017 through May 2018, data were collected and analyzed in the Cancer Care Tracking Tool by a designated registered nurse (RN); approximately 1,400 newly diagnosed cancer cases were tracked. Fifty-three cases were identified requiring an intervention. This tracking prompted discussion with key cancer stakeholders for the need of a cancer program clinical coordinator (CPCC). A full-time CPCC was appointed in February 2018.
Conclusions/Implications: This innovative study presented an original approach to improve the quality of cancer care for Veterans. Through the Cancer Care Tracking Tool the RN and CPCC actively identified and addressed barriers to cancer care. This may have numerous implications for future studies including, patient satisfaction and enhanced patient outcomes.
Purpose/Rationale: In order to improve cancer care coordination (CCC) a quality improvement pilot study was performed using a novel tracking tool for Veterans at the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) located in Dallas, Texas.
Background: The VANTHCS is the second largest VA health care system in the country, serving over 113,000 Veterans and delivering one million outpatient episodes of care each year. Cancer is one of the leading causes of these episodes of care. This specific population faces unique needs due to the complexity of cancer care. Particularly, newly diagnosed cancer patients are at risk for being lost to follow up, receiving timeliness of care as well as having interruptions in communication among providers and Veterans. Cancer care coordination has been shown to augment the quality of cancer care. Prior to the initiation of this study, there was no cancer care tracking tool in place and no comprehensive CCC across the continuum at VANTHCS.
Methods: In April 2017, discussion was initiated among the key cancer care providing stakeholders to formulate a plan to identify all Veteran patients newly diagnosed with cancer at VANTHCS. Utilizing histopathology and cytology reports from VistA, we developed an interface that displayed Veterans with new cancer diagnoses. This system was put in place to capture initial date of diagnosis and
monitor scheduled patient appointments through the date of initial treatments. A plan-do-study-act (PDSA) was conducted to assess for any changes.
Results: From May 2017 through May 2018, data were collected and analyzed in the Cancer Care Tracking Tool by a designated registered nurse (RN); approximately 1,400 newly diagnosed cancer cases were tracked. Fifty-three cases were identified requiring an intervention. This tracking prompted discussion with key cancer stakeholders for the need of a cancer program clinical coordinator (CPCC). A full-time CPCC was appointed in February 2018.
Conclusions/Implications: This innovative study presented an original approach to improve the quality of cancer care for Veterans. Through the Cancer Care Tracking Tool the RN and CPCC actively identified and addressed barriers to cancer care. This may have numerous implications for future studies including, patient satisfaction and enhanced patient outcomes.