Key clinical findings from the IMPROVE-UK quality improvement projects : an overview
Phillips, Andrew James Bowen, Rebecca Wells, Mary McNeish, Iain Sundar, Sudha
Phillips, Andrew James
Bowen, Rebecca
Wells, Mary
McNeish, Iain
Sundar, Sudha
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Affiliation
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust; Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; et al.
Other Contributors
Publication date
2025-02-25
Subject
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
Introduction: Survival from ovarian cancer in the UK is poor compared with international comparators. The Ovarian Cancer Audit Feasibility Pilot demonstrated variation in 1-year and 5-year survival across the UK as well as significant variation in treatment rates. In 2020, IMPROVE-UK was established as the first major programme to address inequalities in ovarian cancer management and survival across the UK, to develop a legacy of best practice sharing across the country and to establish and evaluate quality improvement projects that could drive care at scale. Methods: Following a competitive process, seven quality improvement projects were funded to address inequalities in care and identify strategies to improve and equalise survival rates for all women with ovarian cancer in the UK, to address health inequalities from geography, age or ethnicity. Results: Projects addressed the secondary care diagnostic pathway, genomic testing, prehabilitation and improving treatment-related decision-making, particularly decisions for surgery. All seven projects at least partial achieved their aims with numerous areas across all projects identified where processes could be refined and incorporated into standard care to improve outcomes of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Dissemination of information regarding best practice has been undertaken. Conclusion: IMPROVE-UK was the first programme of its kind addressing significant inequalities of care in women with ovarian cancer. We demonstrate systematic quality improvement projects in ovarian cancer targeting various aspects of the treatment journey. Scaling up the results of the improve UK pilots is likely to improve survival in the UK and potentially internationally.
Citation
hillips AJ, Bowen R, Wells M, McNeish I, Sundar S. Key clinical findings from the IMPROVE-UK quality improvement projects: an overview. BMJ Open Qual. 2025 Feb 25;14(Suppl 1):e002902. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2024-002902.
Type
Article