Quality Improvement in Colorectal Cancer in Local Health Integration Network 4 (LHIN 4) Project (QICC L4) Integrated Knowledge Translation in a Large Geographic Region
BackgroundStakeholders suggest that integrating end users into the planning and execution of quality improvement interventions may more effectively close quality gaps. We tested if such an approach could improve the quality of colorectal cancer surgery in a large geographic region (i.e. LHIN4) in Ontario, Canada.MethodsAll LHIN4 surgeons who provide colorectal cancer surgery were invited to an October 2006 inaugural QICC L4 workshop and subsequent workshops in 2008, 2010, and 2012. At workshops, surgeons selected clinically relevant quality markers for targeted improvement and interventions to achieve improvements. Selected markers included rates of colon and rectal radiology imaging, rate of pathology reporting of rectal radial margin distance, and rate of positive rectal radial margins. To date, implemented interventions have included audit and feedback, tailoring interviews to identify barriers and facilitators to optimal quality, and preoperative internet based patient reviews. Hospital and regional cancer centre charts provide audit data for annual feedback reports to surgeons.ResultsParticipating surgeons at workshops and surgeon participants in preoperative reviews treated approximately 70 of all LHIN4 patients undergoing colorectal surgery. For years 2006 2012, the rate of radiology imaging for colon and rectal cases increased from 70 to 91 and from 71 to 91 respectively. For rectal cases, the rate of reporting radial margins increased (55 93 and the rate of positive radial margins decreased (14 6 .ConclusionsInitiation of the integrated knowledge translation QICC L4 project in a large geographic region was associated with marked improvements in relevant colorectal cancer surgery quality markers.
Annals of Surgical Oncology