Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2014 - (Page 192)

J o u r n al of H ealt H care M anage Ment 59:3 M ay /J une 2014 example, we employed experienced interviewers using an interview guide, audiorecorded and transcribed interview data, coded data by multiple individuals using a common codebook, and collected multiple sources of data to enhance the validity of findings. CONCLUSION The statewide UNC VTB program is intended to improve the quality of cancer care in North Carolina by providing multidisciplinary consultative assistance to community-based providers. However, it has faced several implementation challenges, including lower-than-desired utilization of the program by community-based clinicians. This evaluation revealed that those who have presented at the VTB found the experience useful and believe there is value in the service, while those who have not participated cite substantial barriers (e.g., timing, lack of reimbursement). Future research on similar VTB programs is needed to address barriers to participation and to identify structures and processes that increase the impact of the VTB on care processes and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Identifying appropriate measures of impact on treatment decisions, as well as on outcomes for patients whose cases are presented at the VTB, will be an important aspect of future research. Some possible outcomes include patient satisfaction with choice of treatment regimen(s); patient perception of informed medical decision making; receipt of guideline-concordant treatment; patient quality of life; and clinical outcomes, such as morbidity, mortality, and recurrence. Consistent with the movement toward patient-centeredoutcomes research, soliciting patient input (e.g., via interviews) about outcomes most important to them could be a useful next step. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was funded by Health-e-NC, an initiative of the University Cancer Research Fund at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Christopher M. Shea was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH) (KL2TR001109) (UL1TR001111) (PI: Runge). Dr. Stephanie B. Wheeler was supported by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Mentored Clinical Scientists Comparative Effectiveness Development Award (1K12HS019468) (PI: Weinberger). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or AHRQ. REFERENCES American College of Surgeons (ACoS). (2013). Cancer programs. Retrieved from http:// www.facs.org/cancerprogram/. Blayney, D. W. (2013). Tumor boards (team huddles) aren't enough to reach the goal. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 105(2), 82-84. doi:10.1093/jnci/djs523 Bowen, D. J., Kreuter, M., Spring, B., CoftaWoerpel, L., Linnan, L., Weiner, D., . . ., Fernandez, M. (2009). How we design feasibility studies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 36, 452-457. Cohen, P., Tan, A. L., & Penman, A. (2009). The multidisciplinary tumor conference in gynecologic oncology-Does it alter management? International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 19(9), 1470-1472. doi:10.1111/IGC.0b013e3181bf82df Commission on Cancer (CoC). (2012). Cancer program standards 2012: Ensuring patientcentered care. Chicago, IL: American College of Surgeons. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 192 http://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/ http://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2014

Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2014
Contents
Interview With Christopher D. Van Gorder, FACHE, President and CEO of Scripps Health
Successful Strategic Planning for a Reformed Delivery System
You, Inc.
Assessing the Feasibility of a Virtual Tumor Board Program: A Case Study
Physician Clinical Alignment and Integration: A Community–Academic Hospital Approach
Employer-Based Coverage and Medical Travel Options: Lessons for Healthcare Managers
Composite Model for Profiling Physicians Across Domains of Care

Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2014