Quality Breast Cancer Care: Learn How to Find the Best скачать в хорошем качестве

Quality Breast Cancer Care: Learn How to Find the Best

Quality breast cancer care simply means achieving the best possible cancer outcomes while minimizing the toxicities of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. VISIT THE BREAST CANCER SCHOOL FOR PATIENTS: http://www.breastcancercourse.org LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOCTORS: http://www.breastcancercourse.org/bre... FOLLOW US: Facebook:   / breast-cancer-school-for-patients-95851914...   _______________________________________ Questions for your Breast Cancer Specialists: 1. Will you present my cancer case to a Breast Center team? 2. How do your quality statistics compare to benchmark standards? 3. Would you share with me your quality statistics? 4. What does quality breast cancer care mean? Quality breast cancer care simply means achieving the best possible cancer outcomes while minimizing the toxicities of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Your goal is to only undergo the treatments you need to get the best outcome. Some of these approaches can be measured. They are called “quality measures.” Quality care is difficult to achieve. Newer technologies must be blended with standard-of-care treatments to achieve the best results. Breast cancer care requires a team of specialists dedicated to searching for the best treatment approach for you. You can make yourself a part of that team by engaging your physicians at every appointment. Part of receiving the best care may involve a long-term, close “human relationship” with your physicians. Asking questions about your care will help to engage your physician about your needs and desires. This route may lead to you ultimately receiving the best care possible. At the Breast Cancer School for Patients, we feel it is our duty as breast cancer specialists to teach you how to ask for the best quality care. We are convinced that a well-informed patient who asks “targeted questions” will get better care. Why are quality statistics important? “Health Care Quality” is a movement to improve quality and value to all aspects of healthcare and cancer care. Collecting statistics about specific aspects of cancer treatment is an essential part of improving outcomes nationwide. There are now “benchmark” statistics for surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. For example, these can include measuring successful outcomes or rates of specific complications. Quality statistics are just a small, but important part of quality breast cancer care. Inquire with your physicians about their own quality measures. Quality care and cutting edge advances? Cutting edge technologies are an important part of modern breast cancer care. Quality care is still mostly dependent upon standard treatments. Seek out the best breast cancer specialists in your area. They likely already embrace cutting edge advances in care. Examples of quality measures National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) A few NAPBC quality measures include: the percentage of breast cancers diagnosed with needle biopsies (best approach) rather than surgical biopsies, success in placing patients in clinical trials, and adherence to breast cancer staging guidelines. Breast Surgeon quality measures include: rates of infection after surgery, offering breast reconstruction when a mastectomy is performed, and the frequency of re-operations after a lumpectomy surgery to assure clear margins. Medical Oncologist quality measures include: hospitalization rates for complications of chemotherapy, success of administering all the recommended doses of chemotherapy, assurance that patients take their hormonal medications. Radiation Oncologist quality measures include: rates of completion of recommended radiation treatment courses, skin and lymphedema rates, and rate of recurrence of cancer in the area treated by radiation. How do I get quality care? Seek breast cancer specialists who participate in an NAPBC accredited breast center. To achieve this designation, the team of breast specialists must review and report their own quality statistics and cancer outcomes. You should be reassured when your breast surgeon, medical oncologist, or radiation oncologist shares with you an interest and commitment to benchmark quality standards. The best scenario is when your individual physicians or NAPBC accredited breast center share with you their own quality outcome statistics. When someone takes the time to collect their own statistics, you can be assured they are deeply interested in quality breast cancer care. Register for our newsletter & “Cutting Edge” questions Sign-up for our “Breast Health Updates & Latest Videos“ (here). Once registered, we’ll immediately email you our complete list of “Cutting Edge” questions to engage your breast surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist. We help you to get quality breast cancer care in your community.