The Urology Prostate Cancer Note, one tool to increase Prostate Cancer Clinical Pathway Utilization

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Background

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy diagnosis within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Prostate Cancer Clinical Pathways (PCCP) were developed to enable providers to treat all Veterans with prostate cancer at subject matter expert level.

Methods

The PCCP was launched in February 2021; however, provider documentation of PCCP is variable across the VA healthcare system and within the PCCP, specific flow maps have differential use. To increase urology specific flow map use, a collaboration between the National Surgery Office and National Oncology Program was established to develop a Urology Prostate Cancer Note (UPCN). The UPCN was designed by urologists with assistance from a medical oncologist and a clinical applications coordinator.

Results

The UPCN functions as a working clinical note for urologists and has the PCCPs embedded into reminder dialog templates, which when completed generate health factors. The health factors that are generated from the UPCN are data mined to record PCCP use and to perform data analytics. Since the UPCN national deployment on 9/6/24, documentation of high risk prostate cancer pathway utilization has increased 75% from 226 unique Veterans prior to launch to 395 unique Veterans after launch.

Conclusions

This collaborative effort did improve pathway utilization and documentation however other tools will need to be developed to improve provider PCCP documentation.

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Background

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy diagnosis within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Prostate Cancer Clinical Pathways (PCCP) were developed to enable providers to treat all Veterans with prostate cancer at subject matter expert level.

Methods

The PCCP was launched in February 2021; however, provider documentation of PCCP is variable across the VA healthcare system and within the PCCP, specific flow maps have differential use. To increase urology specific flow map use, a collaboration between the National Surgery Office and National Oncology Program was established to develop a Urology Prostate Cancer Note (UPCN). The UPCN was designed by urologists with assistance from a medical oncologist and a clinical applications coordinator.

Results

The UPCN functions as a working clinical note for urologists and has the PCCPs embedded into reminder dialog templates, which when completed generate health factors. The health factors that are generated from the UPCN are data mined to record PCCP use and to perform data analytics. Since the UPCN national deployment on 9/6/24, documentation of high risk prostate cancer pathway utilization has increased 75% from 226 unique Veterans prior to launch to 395 unique Veterans after launch.

Conclusions

This collaborative effort did improve pathway utilization and documentation however other tools will need to be developed to improve provider PCCP documentation.

Background

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy diagnosis within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Prostate Cancer Clinical Pathways (PCCP) were developed to enable providers to treat all Veterans with prostate cancer at subject matter expert level.

Methods

The PCCP was launched in February 2021; however, provider documentation of PCCP is variable across the VA healthcare system and within the PCCP, specific flow maps have differential use. To increase urology specific flow map use, a collaboration between the National Surgery Office and National Oncology Program was established to develop a Urology Prostate Cancer Note (UPCN). The UPCN was designed by urologists with assistance from a medical oncologist and a clinical applications coordinator.

Results

The UPCN functions as a working clinical note for urologists and has the PCCPs embedded into reminder dialog templates, which when completed generate health factors. The health factors that are generated from the UPCN are data mined to record PCCP use and to perform data analytics. Since the UPCN national deployment on 9/6/24, documentation of high risk prostate cancer pathway utilization has increased 75% from 226 unique Veterans prior to launch to 395 unique Veterans after launch.

Conclusions

This collaborative effort did improve pathway utilization and documentation however other tools will need to be developed to improve provider PCCP documentation.

Issue
Federal Practitioner - 42(9)s
Issue
Federal Practitioner - 42(9)s
Page Number
S33
Page Number
S33
Publications
Publications
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