Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Arvind Manohar Shinde, Azadeh Dashti, Eve Makoff, Navasard Ovasapians, Andrew Eugene Hendifar, Richard Tuli, Robert A. Figlin
Background: ECOG-PS is a widely implemented scale in oncology to assess performance status (PS). Higher scores are associated with poorer tolerance to higher-intensity chemotherapy (Ct). While professional societies recommend limiting Ct in patients with solid tumors and poor PS, the practice remains pervasive. To reduce this practice, in 2014 the Cedars-Sinai (CS) cancer quality committee developed a quality initiative (QI) requiring oncologists to indicate ECOG-PS on IV chemotherapy orders, with a structured hard-stop to evaluate patients with ECOG-PS≥3. Previously ECOG-PS was not required. Ct nurses also scored ECOG-PS, though their evaluation was not reported back to oncologists, and did not affect Ct decisions. Earlier studies have suggested a bias for oncologists to rate the ECOG-PS more positively than nurses when evaluating the same patient. Methods: 1084 of the total 12,259 Ct orders activated from 3/1/14-2/28/15 in a CS infusion center were randomly audited for ECOG-PS scoring by MD and RN for quality assurance. Completion and concordance rates for ECOG-PS were determined. Results: 93% and 83% of charts documented MD and RN ECOG-PS, respectively. 827 charts had both MD and RN ECOG-PS scores. Concordance rates, and discordance directionality are described in the Table. Conclusions: This QI achieved high rates of ECOG-PS documentation by oncologists, and low rates of Ct administration to patients with ECOG-PS≥3. MD/RN concordance rates were similar to those described in the literature. Interestingly, and in stark contrast to previous studies, MDs were more likely to score ECOG-PS as poorer compared to RNs in solid tumor discordant cases.
N | % Concordance Between MD and RN (N) | % Of Discordant Cases In Which MD ECOG-PS > RN ECOG-PS (N) | |
---|---|---|---|
All Patients | 827 | 75% (623) | 66% (135) |
Solid Tumors | 569 (69%) | 78% (441) | 86% (109) |
Hematologic | 258 (31%) | 70% (182) | 35% (26) |
ECOG-PS | |||
0 | 346 (42%) | 75% (259) | 0% (0) |
1 | 396 (48%) | 69% (273) | 87% (108) |
2 | 75 (9%) | 55% (41) | 74% (25) |
3 | 6 (<1%) | 83% (5) | 100% (1) |
Disease Group | |||
Breast | 117 | 70% (82) | 77% (27) |
Gastrointestinal | 95 | 74% (70) | 80% (20) |
Gynecologic | 146 | 68% (100) | 48% (22) |
Head & Neck | 50 | 60% (30) | 75% (15) |
Lung | 37 | 68% (25) | 50% (6) |
Neurologic | 58 | 76% (44) | 50% (7) |
Sarcoma | 59 | 68% (40) | 58% (11) |
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