Aims:
From years 2009 to 2014 there were a total of 1187 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in the Barwon South Western region. The quality of clinical care has been a recent major focus in healthcare. We describe the establishment of Clinical Quality Indicators (CQIs) for the Barwon South West Region and evaluate the quality of lung cancer care provided from 2009 to 2014.
Methods:
Following a literature review, existing internationally recognised CQIs were modified by the Clinical Indicator Working Group and ratified by the Barwon Health Lung Cancer Working Party. CQIs were selected and modified based on data available in the Evaluation of Cancer Outcomes Barwon South West (ECOBSW) Registry. Targets were established by consensus using available evidence to set an appropriate level of care with agreed tolerance levels, and to provide a goal to drive continuous quality improvement. ECOBSW Registry data was subsequently used to evaluate the quality of lung cancer care in the region from 2009 to 2014 based on the established CQI targets.
Results:
Six CQIs were developed on (1) timeliness of care, (2) surgical resection in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), (3) radiotherapy in inoperable NSCLC, (4) systemic therapy in advanced NSCLC, (5) palliative care in advanced NSCLC and (6) 30-day mortality following treatment in NSCLC. The outcomes from 2009 to 2014 in relation to the target values will be presented.
Conclusions:
CQIs can be established to monitor the quality of lung cancer treatment based on current evidence. The regular monitoring of these indicators serves as a useful method of quality assurance and will drive continuous quality improvement in lung cancer care in the Barwon South West Region.