MD and RN ECOG-PS assessments prior to chemotherapy and concordance rates: A quality initiative at a comprehensive cancer center.

Authors

null

Arvind Manohar Shinde

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

Organizations

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

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 Patients82775% (623)66% (135)
Solid Tumors569 (69%)78% (441)86% (109)
Hematologic258 (31%)70% (182)35% (26)
ECOG-PS
    0346 (42%)75% (259)0% (0)
    1396 (48%)69% (273)87% (108)
    275 (9%)55% (41)74% (25)
    36 (<1%)83% (5)100% (1)
Disease Group
    Breast11770% (82)77% (27)
    Gastrointestinal9574% (70)80% (20)
    Gynecologic14668% (100)48% (22)
    Head & Neck5060% (30)75% (15)
    Lung3768% (25)50% (6)
    Neurologic5876% (44)50% (7)
    Sarcoma5968% (40)58% (11)

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2016 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B: Science of Quality

Track

Cost, Value, and Policy in Quality,Practice of Quality,Science of Quality

Sub Track

Quality Improvement

Citation

J Clin Oncol 34, 2016 (suppl 7S; abstr 228)

DOI

10.1200/jco.2016.34.7_suppl.228

Abstract #

228

Poster Bd #

F12

Abstract Disclosures