Radiation Oncology Department Quality Performance Review Survey

TMATech.com > Open-ended Question

9. What process improvement ideas has your department worked on in the past 12 months?
 
1. We are a new center, all processes are being reviewed for improvement. 
2. Increase patient education by Therapist to decrease confusion by new patients. 
3. Compliance with physicians standard to see patients once per week Gamma Knife patients that expire within 3 months of treatment: is there a commonality? Implementation of IMRT, dose reduction to critical structures and acute/late side effect comparision to 3-d conformal treatment IMRT Prostate patient field placement with the use of gold markers: what type of shift are required and how can the number of shift be reduced Pain ManagmentInterventions 
4. 1.Reengineer patient registration process 2.Implement digital port review system 3.Commission and release virtual wedges 4.Evaluate & standardize IMRT process including immobilization, treatment planning, treatment, QA and patient education  
5. Redesigning the Treatment Booklet in order to accommodate and improve documentation by staff/physician/physicist. Review and improvements of usage of computer system scheduling system to include pertinent codes to identify patient needs, such as: special needs patient(~); breast pt.(+);, chemo&RT (&)pt., etc. 
6. 1. Demonstrated ability with Emergency Shutdown procedures of all treatment related equipment. Specifically, MD, Physicist, Therapists, demonstrated emergency shutdown of simulator and linear accelerators, can use table emergency down equipment. 2. Patient satisfaction 3. Retrospective outcome studies for primary breast treatment, and rectum treaments (performed by physicians and tumor registry) 
7. getting charges out faster and more accuratley moving to electronic treatment record 
8. Chart review for completness Documentation of patient problems/outcome Multidisciplinary Meeting and improvements due to the meeting 
9. Accuracy of isocenter placement via CT usin LAP lasers and varios immobilzation devices. 
10. time from consultation to start time dictation process 
11. Utilization of Lantis QA 
12. Chart Audit Billing Towns Served Physicians Ref patients Educational Activities Nursing Admission/ Pain Goal  
13. Scheduling improvement, Time study for pre-RT process, revenue cycle 
14. Implementing International Standard of Positioning and Tattooing based on our results from the Port Film Study. 
15. Medical record documentation of pain assessment, intervention, re-assessment. 
16. BLOOD IRRADIATION PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BRACHYTHERAPY IMPLEMENTATION IMRT IMPLEMENTATION 
17. Patient flow, reduction of patient wait times, reduction of repeat port films, nursing assessment issues 
18. N/A 
19. Weekly SSD checks on all port on every patient. Post radiation treatment follow-up to check symptom management and skin care. Mid-treatment education check of patient to confirm compliance with recommended site-specific guideline and skin care. 
20. IMRT process flows 
21. Streamline front desk process/patient registration Improve efficiencies in planning process from nursing, dosimetry/physics to therapist 
22. IMRT QA Process(Improving it) Quality Checklists for all staff for all new patients Repeat port process Patient Satisfaction with physician 
23. Patient Satisfaction Wait Times compared with 3 other facilites Prostate Brachytherapy timliness of completing chart Standardization of Breast set ups Standardization of charting and documentation among three facilities Physics QA chart review Ease of patients finding the department  
24. Dosimetry badges returned to company Patient satisfaction CBCs being initiated by physicians Port film retakes 
25. Patient Satisfaction 
26. Track patient side effects for those who have recieved conformal 3D to prostate vs. IMRT to prostate. 
27. Chart Documentation (phone calls, orders, etc) Billing flags to identify possible billing errors Electronic Medical Record Work log task groups Patient financial Estimates  
28. Mobile HDR to 4 sites instead of three stationairy units at three sites. 
29. 1) Safety issues tracked by safety committee 2) Tracking insurance rejections 3) Tracking requests for additional information on insurance claims 4) Sewer problems 5) Mail problems 6) Head & Neck recurrences 7) Coding study for glioblastomas 8) Amifostine skin reactions 9) Patient wait times from appointment time to treatment 10) Patient satisfaction study 
30. Lab value protocol 
31. Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Monitoring patient wait times Revamping of our scheduling process Documentation and billing chart checks  
32. Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Monitoring patient wait times Revamping of our scheduling process Documentation and billing chart checks  
33. Pt/treatment site identification (preventing wrong pt/wrong site treatment)  
34. IMRT delivery time reduction (ongoing project) Timeliness of dictated reports (ongoing) Outpatient auto queueing by barcode (new) Reduction in consult to initial tx time (new) Protocol data management QA (Annual) External beam chart audit (monthly) Brachy chart audit (ongoing) Coding and billing audits (annual compliance audit and weekly reviews) EPID implementation Operations committee (operational, capital and personnel reviews, policy development, incident reviews)  
35. block scanning identifying pt's enter Linac room with Scanner gun digital films IMRT 
36. Customer service, patient education, chart readiness prior to CT Sim, chart readiness prior to 1st treatment. 
37. Treatment record updated to exclude any abbreviations and also decrease hand writtne orders. Make it easier to read and understand orders, 
38. Patient and Staff satisfaction Closed medical record review using Joint Commission standards Accuracy rates- repeat isodose plans/chart check corrections Medical Necessity Losses 
39. Dietary referrals Skin education Denials 
40. patient satisfaction, pain control 
41. Documentation 
42. Documentation 
43. Registration process More accurate breast set-ups Better pain control Billing audits of all treatment charts 
44. implemented a paperless and filmless environment 
45. Chart Audits for thoroughness of information QA of treatment charts before initial treatment Barcoding for calling up patient's treatment record