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PROTEUS — PRACTICE

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Development of a PRO Implementation Toolkit for Radiation Oncology

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Aileen Chen (Principal Investigator)

Here you can learn more about the “Development of a PRO Implementation Toolkit for Radiation Oncology,” which is part of the PROTEUS Learning Health Network. The Learning Health Network is focused on improving the use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in oncology clinical practice. Also, you can read about the valuable insights that have emerged from their participation in the Learning Health Network.

Headshot of Aileen Chen

Aileen Chen, MD

Headshot of Lilie Lin

Lilie Lin, MD

Headshot of Cesar Marquez

Cesar Marquez, MD PhD

Headshot of Lisa Lowenstein

Lisa Lowenstein, PhD, MPH, RD

Headshot of Susan Peterson

Susan Peterson, PhD, MPH

Project Overview

The goal of our project is to improve our division’s implementation of PRO collection into the routine clinical care of patients. Using strategies from implementation science, we are conducting interviews of patients, their caregivers, clinical staff, and non-clinical stakeholders to identify barriers and facilitators to patient PRO completion and to develop an implementation toolkit for patients treated with radiation.

We have also identified several patient factors associated with PRO completion and timely intervention on high-alert PRO responses. Our study team consists of experts in radiation oncology, implementation science, behavioral science, information services, and statistics.

Learning Health Network Experience

Being a part of the Learning Health Network has supported our project by sharing important information on barriers to PRO implementation, as well as potential solutions, among Learning Health Network members. Furthermore, it has made it easier for us to learn about best practices, as well as unsuccessful strategies, in PRO implementation. It has also introduced us to clinicians and investigators with a shared interest in increasing patient engagement in clinical care.

We have frequently referenced discussions and access to shared materials among the Learning Network members, as well as the online Proteus Practice Guide, to identify strategies for improving our PRO implementation and to brainstorm potential changes to our patient-facing materials. It has been helpful to have these materials accessible and curated by a trusted source. This has saved us a lot of time that would have been spent reviewing the literature.

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