Impact of the breast cancer care measures pilot study on quality-improvement initiatives.

As a participant in the ONS Foundation-supported Breast Cancer Care Quality Measures Set in 2010, the Edward Cancer Center (ECC) identified gaps in patient assessment. Sleep-wake disturbance and distress were two common areas that were lacking consistent assessment when nurses saw patients during their visits. Another issue is the lack of standard methods of practice or a standardized tool. The ECC, in collaboration with Edward Diabetes Center, Linden Oaks Hospital, and other outpatient offices, adopted the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screening tool. The ECC also modified the intervention recommendations to meet the needs of the oncology population. As a result of the findings in the pilot, the ECC was able to implement an evidence-based practice change to improve the overall quality of patient care and provide earlier intervention in an effort to further improve patient outcomes.