This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jacobson, J. O. Articles by Simone, J. V. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Jacobson, J. O. Articles by Simone, J. V. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Improvement in Oncology Practice Performance Through Voluntary Participation in the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative

Joseph O. Jacobson, Michael N. Neuss, Kristen K. McNiff, Pamela Kadlubek, Leroy R. Thacker, II, Frank Song, Peter D. Eisenberg, Joseph V. Simone

From the North Shore Medical Center, Salem, MA; Oncology/Hematology Care, Cincinnati, OH; American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA; Virginia Health Quality Center, Glen Allen, VA; California Cancer Care, Greenbrae, CA; and Simone Consulting, Atlanta, GA

Corresponding author: Joseph O. Jacobson, MD, Department of Medicine, North Shore Medical Center, 81 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA 01970; e-mail: jjacobson{at}partners.org

Purpose The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) became available to all American Society of Clinical Oncology member physicians in 2006 as a voluntary medical oncology practice-based quality measurement and improvement project. QOPI assesses practice performance for a series of evidence- and consensus-based process measures, relying on practices to complete structured chart reviews and submit data via a secure Web-based portal.

Methods This analysis focused on the 71 practices that participated in both the March and September 2006 data collections (7,624 charts abstracted in March and 10,240 in September). Among 33 measures common to both collections, five measures were closely correlated, and 28 are included in the final analysis. Composite scores were created for six different domains of care. Statistical significance was tested on both absolute changes and relative changes (relative failure reduction) of quality measures from baseline to follow-up and between the lower quartile and all other quartiles.

Results Practice performance on individual measures varied between 18.8% and 98.6%. Mean overall performance as measured by a composite score increased from 78.7% in March to 82.3% in September (P < .05). Improvement was most marked among practices originally performing in the bottom quartile. Using a composite score, the absolute and relative performance for the bottom quartile improved by 27% and 35%, respectively, statistically superior to that of all others.

Conclusion Practices that participated in QOPI demonstrated improved performance in self-reported process measures, with the greatest improvement demonstrated in initially low-performing practices.

Presented in abstract format at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, June 1-5, 2007, Chicago, IL.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest and author contributions are found at the end of this article.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. K. McNiff, K. R. Bonelli, and J. O. Jacobson Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Certification Program: Overview, Measure Scoring Methodology, and Site Assessment Standards J. Oncol. Pract, November 1, 2009; 5(6): 270 - 276. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. D. Siegel, S. B. Clauser, and J. M. Lynn National Collaborative to Improve Oncology Practice: The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Experience J. Oncol. Pract, November 1, 2009; 5(6): 276 - 281. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. W. Blayney, P. J. Stella, T. Ruane, J. Martin, B. LaVasseur, T. Leyden, and M. Malloy Partnering With Payers for Success: Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium J. Oncol. Pract, November 1, 2009; 5(6): 281 - 284. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. W. Blayney, K. McNiff, D. Hanauer, G. Miela, D. Markstrom, and M. Neuss Implementation of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative at a University Comprehensive Cancer Center J. Clin. Oncol., August 10, 2009; 27(23): 3802 - 3807. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. N. Neuss The Truth, the Whole Truth, and the Medical Record J. Oncol. Pract, July 1, 2009; 5(4): 175 - 176. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Lorenz Progress in Quality-of-Care Research and Hope for Supportive Cancer Care J. Clin. Oncol., August 10, 2008; 26(23): 3821 - 3823. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. K. McNiff, M. N. Neuss, J. O. Jacobson, P. D. Eisenberg, P. Kadlubek, and J. V. Simone Measuring Supportive Care in Medical Oncology Practice: Lessons Learned From the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative J. Clin. Oncol., August 10, 2008; 26(23): 3832 - 3837. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]