Initiative to reduce bone scans for low-risk prostate cancer patients: A quasi-experimental before-and-after study in a Veterans Affairs hospital

Abstract

Purpose: Bone scans (BS) are a low-value test for asymptomatic men with low-risk prostate cancer. We performed a quality improvement intervention aimed at reducing BS for these patients. Methods and materials: The intervention was a presentation that leveraged the behavioral science concepts of social comparison and normative appeals. Participants were multidisciplinary stakeholders from the Radiation Oncology and Urology services at a Veterans Affairs hospital. We determined the baseline rate of BS by retrospectively analyzing cases of asymptomatic men with newly diagnosed low-risk prostate cancer. For social comparison, we presented contemporary peer BS rates in the United States—including Veterans Affairs hospitals. For normative appeals, we reviewed guidelines from various professional groups. To analyze the effect of this intervention, we performed a quasi-experimental, uncontrolled, before-and-after study. Results: During the 1-year period before the intervention, 32 of 37 patients with low-risk prostate cancer (86.5%) received a BS. The contemporary peer rate was approximately 30%. All reviewed guidelines recommended against BS. During the 1-year period after the intervention, the rate of BS was reduced to 65.5% (19 of 29 patients; P = .043 by one-sided Fisher's exact test). Conclusions: We observed a modest reduction in guideline-discordant BS after the quality improvement intervention. BS rates might be influenced by initiatives that combine social comparisons with appeals to professional norms.