Beschreibung:
<jats:p> 67 </jats:p><jats:p> Background: A key aim of the NCCCP is to develop and improve the quality of multidisciplinary care (MDC). An assessment tool with nine key elements relevant to MDC structure and operations was developed to assess MDC maturity and set goals for continued quality improvement at individual sites and across the network. Methods: 14 NCCCP sites self-reported MDC assessments for lung, breast, and colorectal cancer in June 2010, 2011, and 2012 using an online reporting tool. Each site evaluated their level of maturity (level 1 = no MDC, level 5 = highly integrated MDC) in nine elements integral to the MDC process. Qualitative review of sites’ responses was also conducted. Results: MDC improvement was most evident in four of nine elements; case planning (CP), physician engagement (PE), integration of care coordination (ICC), and quality improvement (QI). The number of sites at level 3 or greater is reported in the table below. Integration of primary care providers and increased organizational support contributed to improved CP. PE was related to conditions of participation, insuring involvement of appropriate physicians in the MDC. The network focus on patient navigation was demonstrated by increase of ICC. Improvement in QI was related to increased participation of sites in physician and hospital quality initiatives (i.e., QOPI and RQRS), and an NCCCP project aimed at increasing referrals to genetics for patient with breast and colon cancer. Conclusions: The maturity of MDC reflected focused work of the Quality of Care sub-committee of the NCCCP. The efforts of working groups in patient navigation, genetics and physician conditions of participation was made evident in the improved performance in MDC’s for three of the four most common malignancies seen in the United States. We hope that this work will provide a blueprint for other health systems that wish to incorporate multidisciplinary care into their cancer programs. [Table: see text] </jats:p>