Quality Care Symposium: Assessing Delivery of Care for Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Posted: Friday, October 19, 2018
In an analysis of patient experience during clinical encounters, women with metastatic breast cancer seen at an academic cancer center were found to spend the majority of their time in waiting areas. Gabrielle Betty Rocque, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues concluded that efforts to shorten wait time may improve care delivery for these patients. Their study findings were presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium in Phoenix (Abstract 93).
A total of 33 clinic visits were observed, and the authors found that on average, patients spent 219 minutes on site. An average of 71 minutes was spent with clinical team members (including physicians, nurses, medical assistants, chaplains, social workers, pharmacists, and navigators), and patients spent on average 85 minutes in waiting areas. Delays prior to rooming by medical assistants, delays with infusion, and delays awaiting drugs from the pharmacy (on average 22 minutes, 22 minutes, and 15 minutes, respectively) were among the areas identified to contribute to patient wait time.
In light of these findings, several strategies were implemented to improve health system efficiency, including assignment of a dedicated infusion nurse and streamlining of medical assistant workflow. Further observation is necessary to determine the effect these changes may have on the quality of patient care.
