Social Factors in Head and Neck Cancer: Here’s What Researchers Found

Researchers at Stanford University used the A3 problem-solving approach to create strategies for tackling these delays. This is a step-by-step approach in which the problem is identified, the current situation is described, goals and targets for the desired condition are developed, a root cause analysis is performed, countermeasures are considered and planned for, results are gathered, and follow-up and review are performed (J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018;159:158-165). Researchers identified important delay drivers in starting postoperative radiation therapy, including failure to perform dental extractions in a timely manner, delayed radiation oncology consults, and inadequate patient engagement.

This work to understand the reasons for treatment delays has resulted in new strategies to improve the delivery of timely care for patients with head and neck cancer, he said. Researchers in the Stanford University study showed that after measures to fix these steps were put into place, delays in starting adjuvant therapy dropped from 38% to 27%. At the Medical University of South Carolina, a program was put into place to improve patient education, provide travel support, restructure care delivery processes, improve care coordination, and enhance referral tracking. Following these changes, they found that the rates of delay decreased from 45% to 14%.

Thomas R. Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.