Process improvement for the safe delivery of multidisciplinary-executed treatments-A case in Y-90 microspheres therapy.
To develop a safe and robust workflow for yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization procedures in a multidisciplinary team environment.



A generalized Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC)-based approach to process improvement was applied to a Y-90 radioembolization workflow. In the first DMAIC cycle, events with the Y-90 workflow were defined and analyzed. To improve the workflow, a web-based interactive electronic white board (EWB) system was adopted as the central communication platform and information processing hub. The EWB-based Y-90 workflow then underwent a second DMAIC cycle. Out of 245 treatments, three misses that went undetected until treatment initiation were recorded over a period of 21 months, and root-cause-analysis was performed to determine causes of each incident and opportunities for improvement. The EWB-based Y-90 process was further improved via new rules to define reliable sources of information as inputs into the planning process, as well as new check points to ensure this information was communicated correctly throughout the process flow.



After implementation of the revised EWB-based Y-90 workflow, after two DMAIC-like cycles, there were zero misses out of 153 patient treatments in 1 year.



The DMAIC-based approach adopted here allowed the iterative development of a robust workflow to achieve an adaptable, event-minimizing planning process despite a complex setting which requires the participation of multiple teams for Y-90 microspheres therapy. Implementation of such a workflow using the EWB or similar platform with a DMAIC-based process improvement approach could be expanded to other treatment procedures, especially those requiring multidisciplinary management.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Bin
B
Cai
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Michael B
MB
Altman
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Jose
J
Garcia-Ramirez
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Jason
J
LaBrash
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
S Murty
SM
Goddu
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Sasa
S
Mutic
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Parag J
PJ
Parikh
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Jeffrey R
JR
Olsen
Department of Radiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Section, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
Nael
N
Saad
Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO. Electronic address: jzoberi@radonc.wustl.edu.
Jacqueline E
JE
Zoberi
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008863:Microspheres; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012984:Software; D057188:Workflow; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes
DMAIC; Electronic workflow management system; Process improvement; Y-90 radioembolization