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Veterans Affairs Radiation Oncology Quality Surveillance Program and American Society for Radiation Oncology Quality Measures Initiative. Pract Radiat Oncol 2022;12(6):468-474

Date

06/12/2022

Pubmed ID

35690354

DOI

10.1016/j.prro.2022.05.015

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85136277154 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   2 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: Ensuring high quality, evidence-based radiation therapy for patients is of the upmost importance. As a part of the largest integrated health system in America, the Department of Veterans Affairs National Radiation Oncology Program (VA-NROP) established a quality surveillance initiative to address the challenge and necessity of providing the highest quality of care for veterans treated for cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: As part of this initiative, the VA-NROP contracted with the American Society for Radiation Oncology to commission 5 Blue Ribbon Panels for lung, prostate, rectal, breast, and head and neck cancers experts. This group worked collaboratively with the VA-NROP to develop consensus quality measures. In addition to the site-specific measures, an additional Blue Ribbon Panel comprised of the chairs and other members of the disease sites was formed to create 18 harmonized quality measures for all 5 sites (13 quality, 4 surveillance, and 1 aspirational).

CONCLUSIONS: The VA-NROP and American Society for Radiation Oncology collaboration have created quality measures spanning 5 disease sites to help improve patient outcomes. These will be used for the ongoing quality surveillance of veterans receiving radiation therapy through the VA and its community partners.

Author List

Park J, Puckett LL, Katsoulakis E, Venkatesulu BP, Kujundzic K, Solanki AA, Movsas B, Simone CB 2nd, Sandler H, Lawton CA, Das P, Wo JY, Buchholz TA, Fisher CM, Harrison LB, Sher DJ, Kapoor R, Chapman CH, Dawes S, Kudner R, Wilson E, Hagan M, Palta J, Kelly MD

Author

Lindsay L. Puckett MD Assistant Professor in the Radiation Oncology department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Humans
Male
Neoplasms
Quality Indicators, Health Care
Radiation Oncology
United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans