Patterns of Care/Quality of Care Studies

The Patterns of Care/Quality of Care (POC) initiative has three inter-related goals:

• evaluate the dissemination of state-of-the-art cancer therapy into community practice;
• disseminate findings in scientific journals and professional meetings; and
• work with professional organizations to develop educational or training opportunities to improve the use of state-of-the-art cancer therapy in community practice.

POC studies began in 1987 with SEER cases serving as controls for a study that examined the provision of state-of-the-art therapy in Community Clinical Oncology Program hospitals. In 1990, the number of cases included in the POC initiative was increased substantially to obtain more stable estimates of community practice in a population-based sample of cases.

POC data are collected under a Congressional Mandate to NCI (Public Law 100-607, Sec. 413 (a)(2)(C) adopted November 4, 1988), and the project is coordinated jointly by the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.