The relationships between patient volume per oncologist, social worker presence, and capacity to provide psychosocial care.

Authors

null

Louise Bedard

Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, Ann Arbor, MI

Louise Bedard, Gabrielle Steinl, Jamie Lindsay, Jennifer Yanchula, Chandler McLeod, Stacie Myers, Jennifer J. Griggs

Organizations

Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, Ann Arbor, MI, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, MIchigan Oncology Quality Consortium, Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (I-CHOM), Boston, MA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Research Funding

Other

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between new patient volume per oncologist, the availability of a social worker, and the capacity to provide psychosocial care. Methods: Community practices within Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium (MOQC), a statewide quality collaborative, completed NCI’s 10-item Cancer Psychosocial Care Matrix (CPCM). The CPCM speaks to communication, assessment, coordination, training, and outcomes and quality, each on a separate Likert scale. Analyses describe the ability to meet psychosocial care and the availability of a social worker, new patients/full time oncologist, payer mix, and percent minorities. Results: To date,15 of 47 practices (32%) completed the CPCM. We report on 4 measures with sizeable variation between practices. Scores were the highest on the ability to communicate the importance of psychosocial care and implementing a plan (scale of 1 – 3; mean of 2.36, standard deviation, SD 0.72; mean of 1.79, SD 0.89). The lowest scores were related to linking patients with services and offering provider education (scale of 1 – 5: mean of 2.18, SD 1.08; mean of 2.20, SD 0.94). Linear regression showed an association with number of patients/oncologist and the ability to provide staff training of effective patient/provider communication and monitoring this activity’s impact. For every 100-person increase in the number of patients/oncologist, there was a -0.16 (p = 0.046) rating difference in staff training and a -0.25 (p = 0.006) rating difference to monitor the communication’s effect. A dedicated social worker was present in 3 practices. Regression analysis showed a relationship between a social worker and recognizing (p=0.02) and addressing psychosocial care (p<0.001). There was wide variation in payer mix and percent minorities but no association between the dependent variables and these characteristics. Conclusions: Community practices with a larger volume of new patients/oncologist/year are less likely to provide staff training and monitoring on psychosocial communication. In this sample, payer mix and racial composition are not associated with a practice’s ability to deliver psychosocial care.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2017 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B: Patient Safety and Science of Quality

Track

Patient Safety,Science of Quality

Sub Track

Communication, Decision Making, and Behavior

Citation

J Clin Oncol 35, 2017 (suppl 8S; abstract 156)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2017.35.8_suppl.156

Abstract #

156

Poster Bd #

B11

Abstract Disclosures

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