Ny rapport jämför uppföljning av SVF i de nordiska länderna

Nordic collaboration cancer care pathways är ett nätverk för forskning och erfarenhetsutbyte kring standardiserade vårdförlopp (SVF) i Norden. Regionala cancercentrum är en av medlemmarna i nätverket.

Inom nätverket har analytiker och forskare från Danmark, Sverige och Norge sammanställt en rapport om hur SVF följs upp i de nordiska länderna. Syftet är att ge en överblick av uppföljningssystemen som underlättar ömsesidigt lärande och att ge ett verktyg för dialog kring potentiella förbättringar vad gäller data och analyser. Rapporten är på engelska.

Rapport: Monitoring standardized cancer patient pathways (pdf, nytt fönster)

Nedan följer en beskrivning av arbetet på engelska.

Read about the report in English below.

Comparing how cancer patient pathways are monitored in Sweden, Denmark and Norway

A newly published report describes how cancer patient pathways are monitored in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It discusses selected elements as well as challenges related to the monitoring and how the monitoring is used across the three countries. The intension is to provide an overview that facilitates mutual learning and provides a tool for dialogue regarding potential improvements with regard to data and analyses.

The comparison of how cancer patient pathways are monitored springs from the network Nordic Collaboration Cancer Care Pathway, and has been carried out in cooperation between on the one hand analysists and researchers from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway and on the other hand national and regional health data authorities. The information has been gathered through dialogues, email correspondences as well as a workshop regarding monitoring of cancer patient pathways. The Danish Cancer Society has written the report.

Similarities and differences

In 2008, Denmark introduced the first cancer patient pathways, and in the following years, the concept was also implemented in Sweden and Norway. Each of the three countries introduced monitoring programs in order to obtain knowledge regarding compliance to the cancer patient pathway objectives. The aim of the monitoring efforts was to provide consecutive feedback to clinical and political stakeholders as a means to ensure adherence to the pathways and obtain knowledge that could facilitate continued improvement.

The report shows that the monitoring of cancer patient pathways is generally very similar across the three countries, and the primary focus concerns processing time (“forløbstid” (DK), “forløpstid” (NO), “ledtid” (SE)). Yet, the monitoring practices differ in certain aspects, for instance regarding targets specified by the central authorities and regarding whether the monitoring only includes patients who end up having the cancer confirmed, or whether it also includes patients who have the cancer diagnosis disconfirmed. As the only country, Sweden also regularly monitors the experiences of patients going through cancer patient pathways.

Challenges and potential expansions

The report concludes that monitoring in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden covers central parts of the cancer patient pathways, and appears to be a useful tool for the employees, who seem aware of where the limitations and weaknesses exist. Though registration guidelines are thorough, and the data quality is generally high, data validity nevertheless constitutes the greatest challenge for health data authorities across the three countries.

Potential expansions, such as assessments of processing time that consider patient preferences and comorbidities as well as inventories regarding patient experiences (which are already available in Sweden), could be valuable additions to the existing monitoring practices. Such additions could strengthen the ability to identify best practice actors and areas that need improvement, and more generally would qualify the monitoring as a tool for quality assessment of cancer patient pathway performance.

Report: Monitoring standardized cancer patient pathways (pdf, open in new window)

About nordic collaboration cancer patient pathways