Public Comment
ASTRO posts draft clinical practice guidelines and practice documents for public comment before they are finalized and sent to ASTRO's Board of Directors for approval.Contact Us
For more information on measure reporting or measure development at ASTRO, please contact Randi Kudner, Assistant Director of Quality Improvement.
Measures
Quality measures are common tools used to assess various aspects of the delivery of healthcare and can be directly linked to physician payment through a variety of quality reporting programs. Measure developers assess clinical practice statements and performance data to identify gaps in care. Measure concepts are vetted, prioritized and tested according to clinical importance, comprehensiveness and reliability and feasibility of reporting.
Development for the Veterans Affairs
Since 2016, ASTRO has developed quality measures for the radiation oncology practices within the Veterans Health Administration. During this contract, ASTRO developed a set of harmonized measures applicable to all disease sites, breast, lung, prostate, rectal and head and neck cancers and a DVH Compendium. The DVH tables were developed for six disease sites to support physician decision making during dosimetric treatment planning and serve as performance indicators as part of quality surveillance.
Veterans Affairs
- All cancers
- Head and neck cancer with an emphasis on oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Lung cancer
CMS Measures
ASTRO has developed quality measures through working collaboratively with the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Urological Association(AUA). Collaboration allows for radiation specific and cross-cutting measure development representing the full treatment path for many cancer patients.- Oncology: Treatment Summary Communication - Radiation Oncology
- Oncology: Medical and Radiation - Pain Intensity Quantified
- Oncology: Medical and Radiation - Plan of Care for Pain
- Prostate Cancer: Avoidance of Overuse of Bone Scan for Staging Low-risk Prostate Cancer Patients - NQF 0389
- Prostate Cancer: Combination Androgen Deprivation Therapy for High-risk or Very High-risk Prostate Cancer - NQF 0390
