Implementation is the stepwise introduction of a concept with the goal to change the behaviour of health care providers. The concept of quality of life (QL) was implemented in order to improve the regional care for cancer patients. The following steps were taken: creating a quality circle, teaching the concept QL, listing QL-enhancing therapy options, graphically presenting individual patients in the form of QL-profiles. In the course of an implementation study QL-profiles of individual patients were sent to their respective practitioners. Doctors judged these profiles as comprehensible (100%) and informative (55%). QL-profiles influenced doctor-patient communication (42%), but had no impact on therapeutic decisions (0%). Acceptance of QL-profiles was higher in doctors treating breast cancer patients (67% response rate) than in doctors treating rectal cancer patients (25%). Reasons for this difference as well as driving and restraining forces for implementing the QL-concept were analysed through a barrier analysis.
Academies and Institutes Breast Neoplasms