A Quality Improvement Education Pilot Project to Increase Recommendations for Physical Activity in Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Physical activity can provide benefits for cancer survivors. A nurse-provided physical activity recommendation is strongly supported by evidence-based symptom interventions developed by the Oncology Nursing Society. This pilot project aimed to evaluate whether a focused quality improvement education (QIE) intervention could increase the frequency with which oncology nurses provide a physical activity recommendation to patients. Using The Expanded Learning Model for Systems to structure the project, the project team provided a multipronged educational approach with coaching through quality improvement activities to guide practice change. Oncology-focused clinical quality measures (CQMs) related to assessment for cancer-related fatigue and recommendation for physical activity provided the primary data used to evaluate the impact of the QIE intervention. CQM data demonstrated substantial increases in the frequency with which patients were assessed for fatigue and provided with a physical activity recommendation. This pilot project provides preliminary evidence that a QIE intervention supported by coaching can help facilitate evidence-based practice change. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(4):184-191.].