Multidisciplinary first-day consultation accelerates diagnostic procedures and throughput times of patients in a head-and-neck cancer care pathway, a mixed method study.

Lidia S van HuizenPieter U DijkstraBernard F A M van der LaanHarry ReintsemaKees T B AhausHendrik P BijlJan L N Roodenburg

Published in: BMC health services research (2018)

A MFDC is efficient and benefits patients. We showed that the MFDC implementation in the care pathway had a positive effect on efficiency in the care pathway. As a consequence, the extra efforts of four specialist disciplines, a nurse practitioner, and a coordinating nurse seeing the patient together during intake, were justified. Start treatment times increased as a result of new treatment modalities that needed more time for preparation.

Keyphrases

palliative care
quality improvement
healthcare
end stage renal disease
ejection fraction
newly diagnosed
primary care
prognostic factors
pain management
body mass index
affordable care act