EUSOMA quality indicators for non-metastatic breast cancer: An update

Eur J Cancer. 2024 Feb:198:113500. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.113500. Epub 2023 Dec 26.

Abstract

Introduction: Quality care in breast cancer is higher if patients are treated in a Breast Center with a dedicated and specialized multidisciplinary team. Quality control is an essential activity to ensure quality care, which has to be based on the monitoring of specific quality indicators. Eusoma has proceeded with the up-dating of the 2017 Quality indicators for non-metastatic breast cancer based on the new diagnostic, locoregional and systemic treatment modalities.

Methods: To proceed with the updating, EUSOMA setup a multidisciplinary working group of BC experts and patients' representatives. It is a comprehensive set of QIs for early breast cancer care, which are classified as mandatory, recommended, or observational. For the first time patient reported outcomes (PROMs) have been included. As used in the 2017 EUSOMA QIs, evidence levels were based on the short version of the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Results: This is a set of quality indicators representative for the different steps of the patient pathway in non-metastatic setting, which allow Breast Centres to monitor their performance with referring standards, i.e minimum standard and target.

Conclusions: Monitoring these Quality Indicators, within the Eusoma datacentre will allow to have a state of the art picture at European Breast Centres level and the development of challenging research projects.

Keywords: Breast cancer care; Quality control; Quality indicators.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Quality Indicators, Health Care*
  • Quality of Health Care