Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quality Initiatives in Head and Neck Cancer

  • Published:
Current Oncology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A growing national health care initiative is gathering momentum to improve the quality of care for all Americans. Efforts to establish, monitor, and reward quality care have therefore been extensive. The Institute of Medicine has established that a large proportion of individuals do not receive recommended cancer care for their stage of disease, and that quality of care metrics should be established to decrease inappropriate care (overuse, under use, or wrong use). The American Head and Neck Society has been instrumental in developing quality measures for two of the most common head and neck cancers and in promoting adherence to these measures to improve quality of care for all patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •• Of major importance

  1. Institute of Medicine: Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Institute of Medicine: Medicare: A Strategy for Quality Assurance, Vol. 1. Edited by Lohr KN. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1990.

  3. Donabedian A: The Definition of Quality and Approaches in Assessment, Vol. 1. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press; 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  4. •• National Quality Forum: NQF-Endorsed Standards. Available at http://www.qualityforum.org/Measures_List.aspx. Accessed on December 13, 2009. This resource provides the most complete performance standards currently available.

  5. Bernier J, Cooper JS, Pajak TF, et al.: Defining risk levels in locally advanced head and neck cancers: a comparative analysis of concurrent postoperative radiation plus chemotherapy trials of the EORTC (#22931) and RTOG (# 9501). Head Neck 2005, 27:843–850.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Karnofsky D, Burchenal J: The clinical evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer. In MacLeod C, ed. Evaluation of chemotherapeutic agendas. New York: Columbia University Press, 1949:191–205.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bartlett EE, Grayson M, Barker R, et al.: The effects of physician communications skills on patient satisfaction; recall, and adherence. J Chronic Dis 1984, 37:755–764.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hsieh MO, Kagle JD: Understanding patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with health care. Health Soc Work 1991, 16:281–290.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Deyo RA, Inui TS: Dropouts and broken appointments. A literature review and agenda for future research. Med Care 1980, 18:1146–1157.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cleary PD, McNeil BJ: Patient satisfaction as an indicator of quality care. Inquiry 1988, 25:25–36.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Davies AR, Ware JE Jr: Involving consumers in quality of care assessment. Health Aff (Millwood) 1988, 7:33–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hayward RA, Bernard AM, Rosevear JS, et al.: An evaluation of generic screens for poor quality of hospital care on a general medicine service. Med Care 1993, 31:394–402.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Malin JL, Schneider EC, Epstein AM, et al.: Results of the National Initiative for Cancer Care Quality: how can we improve the quality of cancer care in the United States? J Clin Oncol 2006, 24:626–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. •• Blayney DW, McNiff K, Hanauer D, et al.: Implementation of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative at a university comprehensive cancer center. J Clin Oncol 2009, 27:3802–3807. This article provides a comprehensive evaluation of a practice measure at work.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. American Medical Association: Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement Measures 2009. Available at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/clinical-practice-improvement/clinical-quality/physician-consortium-performance-improvement/pcpi-measures.shtml. Accessed on December 12, 2009.

  16. American Medical Association: Oncology—Physician Performance Measurement Set 2007 (Updated 2009). Available at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/370/oncology-ms.pdf. Accessed on December 12, 2009.

  17. Weber RS. Improving the quality of head and neck cancer care. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007, 133:1188–1192.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chen AY, Schrag N, Hao Y, et al.: Changes in treatment of advanced laryngeal cancer 1985–2001. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006, 135:831–837.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chen AY, Schrag N, Hao Y, et al.: Changes in treatment of advanced oropharyngeal cancer, 1985–2001. Laryngoscope 2007, 117:16–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen AY, Pavluck A, Halpern M, Ward E: Impact of treating facilities’ volume on survival for early-stage laryngeal cancer. Head Neck 2009, 31:1137–1143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen AY, Halpern M: Factors predictive of survival in advanced laryngeal cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007, 133:1270–1276.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Roland PS, Smith TL, Schwartz SR, et al.: Clinical practice guideline: cerumen impaction. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008, 139:S1–S21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Rosenfeld RM, Brown L, Cannon CR, et al.: Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006, 134:S4–S23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Schwartz SR, Cohen SM, Dailey SH, et al.: Clinical practice guidelines: Hoarseness (Dysphonia). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009, 141:S1–S31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bhattacharyya N, Baugh RF, Orvidas L, et al.: Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008, 139:S47–S81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Rosenfeld RM, Culpepper L, Doyle KJ, et al.: Clinical practice guideline: otitis media with effusion. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004, 130:S95–S118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Rosenfeld RM, Andes D, Bhattacharyya N, et al.: Clinical practice guideline: adult sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007, 137:S1–S31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. •• National Comprehensive Cancer Network: NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Head and Neck Cancers. Guidelines for Treatment of Cancer by Site. Available at http://nccn/.org. Accessed on December 13, 2009. This resource provides the most up-to-date information on the current management of head and neck cancer.

  29. Clark CH, Miles EA, Urbano MT, et al.: Pre-trial quality assurance processes for an intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) trial: PARSPORT, a UK multicentre phase III trial comparing conventional radiotherapy and parotid-sparing IMRT for locally advanced head and neck cancer. Br J Radiol 2009, 82:585–594.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Rosenthal DI, Asper JA, Barker JL Jr, et al.: Importance of patient examination to clinical quality assurance in head and neck radiation oncology. Head Neck 2006, 28:967–973.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. •• Chen AY: The development of quality care measures for oral cavity cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008, 134:672. This article provided the first introduction to quality measures in the head and neck.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Hewitt M, Simone J: Enhancing Data Systems to Improved Quality of Cancer Care. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365A Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Amy Y. Chen

Authors
  1. Amy Y. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amy Y. Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, A.Y. Quality Initiatives in Head and Neck Cancer. Curr Oncol Rep 12, 109–114 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-010-0083-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-010-0083-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation