The Role of Quality Measures in Improving Breast Cancer Care in Low-Income Countries

AbstractPurpose of ReviewMeasurement of the quality of cancer care is foundational to quality improvement, and widely pursued in high-income countries. However, cancer care quality measurement has not yet been systematically attempted in low-income countries (LICs). We aimed to describe key considerations in developing quality measures for breast cancer care in LICs, and explore challenges and next steps.Recent FindingsThere are no published reports of systematically developed quality measures from LICs, and few reports of care quality. However, existing resource-stratified treatment guidelines can help facilitate measure development. Key steps will include identifying how measures based on evidence from high-resource settings can and should be adapted. Retention in care and equity are particularly pressing to measure in LICs. Challenges include limited data infrastructure for care assessment and measure validation.SummaryDeveloping rigorous strategies for the measurement of cancer care is a critical step for understanding and improving the cancer care quality in LICs.
Source: Current Breast Cancer Reports - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research