ASCO has announced that the first three practices in Spain have received Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) certification through the QOPI Certification Program™, LLC (QCP). The accreditations were given on September 8, at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress in Madrid, Spain.
“The continuous improvement of the quality of cancer care that we provide is a worldwide effort,” said ASCO President Bruce E. Johnson, MD, FASCO. “We commend these practices for demonstrating their commitment to high quality and safety excellence in the delivery of care to patients and for forging new ground within their country.”
The QOPI Certification Program, which began in 2010, offers specialty 3-year certification to outpatient oncology practices demonstrating a commitment to quality. The three practices to receive certification are:
- Servicio de Oncología Medica, Hospital Universitario General de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Servicio de Oncología Medica, Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, Spain
- Servicio de Oncología Medica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
Each of these practices completed a comprehensive, voluntary assessment of its site against specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines. Those practices that earn the QOPI Certification designation have scored well on key QOPI quality measures and have met chemotherapy standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society in areas of treatment safety. Dr. Carlos Camps, Dr. Vincente Guillem, and Dr. Alfredo Carrato, heads of the oncology departments of the three practices certified, agree in the high importance of this recognition, which will reinforce their commitment to quality in cancer patient care.
Applying for QOPI certification in Spain is now possible because of a collaboration between QCP and the Foundation for Excellence and Quality in Oncology (ECO), a nonprofit foundation in Spain. Through this collaboration, ECO facilitated the certification efforts within Spain for these three practices, advising on the application of QOPI quality measures in Spain, conducting onsite reviews, and processing the necessary documentation for QOPI certification. The applications then underwent ASCO’s traditional peer review by a select team of oncology professionals, such as physicians and nurses.
Currently, more than 300 practices in the United States, Greece, Brazil, and Spain have achieved QOPI Certification.
QOPI and the QOPI Certification Program are projects dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. Visit http://www.instituteforquality.org/qopi-qcp for additional details. ■
©2017. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
