Measuring clinical pathway compliance using a simulated patient approach with clinical performance and value (CPV) vignettes.

Authors

Karen Fields

Karen K. Fields

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL

Karen K. Fields, Hatem Hussein Soliman, Eliot Lawrence Friedman, Rachel V. Lee, Maria Czarina Acelajado, Diana Tamondong-Lachica, John W. Peabody

Organizations

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Allentown, PA, QURE Healthcare, San Rafael, CA, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Although clinical pathways have the promise to improve the quality of care, they have had limited success changing practice or standardizing care. Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) has > 40 pathways incorporating interdisciplinary care strategies linked to evidence and decision support tools. Methods: To improve compliance with pathways we used an innovative measure to quantify quality of care, CPV vignettes. CPV vignettes are validated, simulated clinical scenarios constructed so that adherence to pathways is clear-cut. Providers care for identical cases so there is no need for case mix adjustment. After completing each case, providers are given personalized feedback. Twelve breast cancer (ca) vignettes were developed by MCC breast medical oncologists and surgeons and QURE, a healthcare measurement company. The cases were developed using MCC pathways, other evidence and core issues such as diagnostic work-up. The vignettes were randomized at the department level and given to all MCC providers who care for breast ca patients. A total of 18 providers took 34 CPVs: 7 medical oncologists, 6 advanced practitioners and 5 surgeons. QURE-trained physician abstractors blinded to the CPV-taker’s identity scored each vignette and provided confidential feedback. Results: Total scores for providers averaged 55.4%, s.d. 12.5%, a typical score for a CPV baseline study. Adherence to pathways varied by area with the highest concordance for radiation and hormonal therapy and the lowest for management of axillary lymph nodes (see Table). Conclusions: Adherence to pathways varied among providers and by clinical domain. Ongoing efforts will evaluate the impact of serial CPV measurement on pathway adherence. Simulations simplified the task of determining pathway adherence making pathway compliance at the physician level a reasonable expectation and standardization at the group level scientifically rigorous and feasible.

Clinical pathway Opportunities in CPVs
for pathway compliance
Frequency of
adherence to pathways
% Adherence
Surgery 16 11 69%
Axillary lymph node biopsy/
sentinel node biopsy
16 5 31%
Radiation treatment 12 10 83%
Chemotherapy 20 8 40%
Hormonal therapy 14 11 79%

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2013 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

General Poster Session A: Science of Quality

Track

Science of Quality,Health Reform: Implications for Costs and Quality ,Practice of Quality

Sub Track

Quality Measurement

Citation

J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl 31; abstr 96)

Abstract #

96

Poster Bd #

E15

Abstract Disclosures