The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has published a curated list of high-impact measures for assessing quality improvements in cancer care.
The recommendations reflect a landscape analysis from leading oncology experts; they evaluate measures that, if implemented, will move the needle on cancer care standards in America, with potential implications for policy and coverage. The article, Quality Measurement in Cancer Care: A Review and Endorsement of High-Impact Measures and Concepts, is available via open access in the March 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
The NCCN Quality and Outcomes Committee was first founded in 2016 in order to develop quality and outcome measures in oncology that are:
more standardized
contemporary
clinically relevant
easily implemented, and
broadly applicable.
The committee reviewed 528 existing oncology quality measures and new measure concepts that could be appropriate for development. This list was narrowed down into 22 recommendations—based on importance, supporting evidence, opportunity for improvement, and ease of measurement—including endorsement of 15 existing measures and seven new concepts proposed for development.
“The key question underlining all of our efforts is: how can we use quality measurements to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer?” Thomas A. D’Amico, of Duke Cancer Institute, chair of the NCCN Quality and Outcomes Committee, said in a statement. “We paid particular attention to cross-cutting measures that would signify better delivery of care for all different cancer types, while also drilling down into specifics for the highest incidence cancers that affect the most people.”
Full descriptions of the 22 recommendations, including an explanation of how they each represent important diagnostic and treatment decisions across the continuum of care, can be found at JNCCN.org.
