Feedback to medical oncologists Overseas research has demonstrated the value of feedback in changing clinical care. In Australia, there are few models for providing routine feedback to clinicians about the extent to which their care accords with recommendations. This project is exploring the role of an interactive computer program in improving the care of women with breast cancer. The program provides feedback to clinicians on the well being of their patients as well as the extent to which their clinical management agrees with the guidelines. It is becoming increasingly clear that health service delivery structures often form major barriers to implementing clinical practice guidelines.
Hospitals have a key role to play in supporting the adoption of guidelines.
A pilot program has been planned in NSW with assistance from the Strathfield Private Breast Clinic, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Crows Nest and the St Vincent's Specialist Medical Centre in Lismore. The program will provide an integrated approach to assist hospitals in determining the extent to which they are supporting the implementation of guidelines. The program will help hospitals to analyse the care they provide to identify structural and health service delivery barriers to implementing the guidelines. Much has been learned from the process of disseminating and implementing the guidelines. A detailed analysis of the cost of implementing the guidelines has been undertaken by Ms Helen Lapsley and will be available in the near future.