Prostate Cancer Patient Outcomes and Choice of Providers

Prostate cancer is the most common solid malignancy diagnosed in American men, and the majority of cases are diagnosed at an early stage of the disease in which the tumor is confined to the prostate. Given the large number of men diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer each year, it is essential to determine how variations in quality of care affect treatment outcomes. RAND conducted a study to develop the structure necessary to begin evaluating the quality of care provided to men with early-stage prostate cancer. The central outcome is a list of candidate indicators of quality of care, endorsed as appearing to be valid, feasible, and appropriate for further testing in a population-based sample. The panel endorsed four measures of structure, twelve measures of process, and six measures of outcome. Based upon their results, the researchers also offer four recommendations as bases for further research.