Objective:

To evaluate the impact of a discharge summary prompt on reducing delays in postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for patients with head and neck cancer.

Approach:

• Study Design: A cohort study was conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, focusing on patients who underwent surgery for head and neck cancer and required adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.
• Intervention: An electronic health record-based discharge summary intervention was implemented, including prompts for documenting key postoperative information relevant to adjuvant RT planning.
• Data Collection: De-identified clinical data was extracted from the electronic health record and analyzed to assess the impact of the intervention on PORT delays.
• Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics and various statistical tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention groups and assess associations with delayed PORT.

Key Findings:

• The implementation of the discharge summary prompt significantly reduced the proportion of patients experiencing delayed PORT.
• Prior to the intervention, 73% of patients faced delays in initiating PORT beyond the recommended 6-week window.

Interpretation:

The study indicates that a discharge summary prompt can improve communication and coordination for timely initiation of postoperative radiotherapy.

Limitations:

• The study was conducted at a single institution, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
• The long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the intervention in diverse healthcare settings remain to be evaluated.

Conclusion:

The discharge summary prompt is an intervention that can enhance the timeliness of postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients.