2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P1.16. Quality Initiative to Improve Timeliness of Care in a Rapid Assessment Lung Cancer Clinic

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A quality improvement initiative was implemented in a rapid assessment lung cancer clinic to improve the timeliness of care. The clinic, called the Rapid Lung Assessment Clinic (RLAC), was established in 2018 to fast-track the diagnosis and referral for treatment of lung cancer. However, the timeliness of care remained below benchmarks during the initial 15 months of operation. <br /><br />To address this issue, two interventions were implemented in 2020. The first intervention was the appointment of a dedicated nurse coordinator who would triage referrals and track the patient's journey through the clinic. The second intervention was the introduction of pre-clinic PET scans and other investigations, making all imaging available at the patient's first clinic visit to guide biopsy and staging procedures. <br /><br />A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients seen in the RLAC from July 2020 to June 2021, after the implementation of the quality improvement initiative. Data was collected on patient demographics, dates of referral, diagnosis, investigations, and treatment. <br /><br />The results showed that the median time from referral to specialist review, diagnosis of lung malignancy, and treatment of lung malignancy were significantly reduced post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. The study compared these results with other studies and found that the RLAC's timeliness in diagnosis and treatment was comparable to or better than other rapid assessment clinics. <br /><br />However, despite the improvements, only 38% of patients in the RLAC met the guidelines for acceptable timeliness of lung cancer management. The increasing complexity of diagnosis and staging makes it challenging to start treatment within the recommended timeframe of 42 days. A further analysis showed that having a pre-clinic PET scan was associated with shorter time to diagnosis and treatment. <br /><br />In conclusion, the quality improvement initiative in the RLAC, including the appointment of a dedicated nurse coordinator and the introduction of pre-clinic PET scans, significantly reduced delays in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. However, meeting the guidelines for timeliness remains a challenge, and further improvements are needed to ensure timely care for all patients.

Asset Subtitle

Shakti Dabholkar

Meta Tag

Speaker Shakti Dabholkar

Topic Screening & Early Detection: Nodule Management

Keywords

quality improvement

rapid assessment lung cancer clinic

timeliness of care

Rapid Lung Assessment Clinic

dedicated nurse coordinator

pre-clinic PET scans

diagnosis and treatment

retrospective analysis

patient demographics

acceptable timeliness