Measuring Patient Care
Effectiveness
How effective are our methods of treatment and care?
Effectiveness addresses the impact of care on disease.
At Dana-Farber, we look at effectiveness from several perspectives.
Our volume (i.e. the number of patients we care for each year) gives us the experience to treat many rare diseases, and to streamline and standardize the care for more common diseases.
The number of clinical trials offers another window on effectiveness, since advances in cancer treatment come from these studies, and because centers that conduct many clinical trials provide patients with access to the most up-to-date care.
Similarly, our volume of stem cell transplants shows our experience offering this cutting-edge technology to patients who need it. Research has shown that for complicated procedures, more experience leads to better outcomes.
Areas we measure
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Adult outpatient volume
Data for adult exam visits and infusion treatment visits at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2000 and 2008.
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Pediatric outpatient volume
Data for pediatric exam visits and infusion treatment visits at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2000 and 2008.
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Clinical trials
Data on open protocols and enrolled participants at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital for 2008.
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Adult stem cell transplants
The number of adult allogeneic and autologous transplants completed at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Fiscal Year 2008.
