Benchmarking Time-to-Treatment Initiation in Sarcoma Care Using Real-World-Time Data

Simple Summary Understanding the time it takes for sarcoma patients to start treatment after their diagnosis is essential, as a rapid onset of therapy could mean better survival chances. Sarcomas, which are rare and complex cancers, often require swift and specialized care. Our study delved into this time period, known as time-to-treatment initiation (TTI), across a variety of sarcoma cases using detailed, real-world-time data. We found that the length of TTI can differ significantly depending on the type of sarcoma and where the patients receive care. Notably, our comprehensive data collection process has shown that reported TTI using RWTD reflects a thorough account of the patient's experience from diagnosis to treatment start, which is crucial for developing a healthcare system that focuses on delivering value-based care. The insights from our analysis pinpoint where improvements are needed and how specialized sarcoma centers can better coordinate care to start treatment promptly, especially for those cases where early intervention is critical.Abstract Benchmarking is a fundamental tool for enhancing quality within a patient-centered healthcare framework. This study presents an analysis of time-to-treatment initiation (TTI) for sarcoma patients, utilizing a database encompassing 266 cases from the Swiss Sarcoma Network. Our findings indicate a median TTI of 30 days across the cohort, with bone sarcomas and deep soft tissue sarcomas demonstrating a shorter median TTI of 28 days, followed by superficial soft tissue sarcomas at 42 days. The data reveal that the use of real-world-time data (RWTD) may account for a longer TTI observed, as it offers more comprehensive capture of patient journeys, unlike conventional datasets. Notably, variability in TTI was observed between different treatment institutions, which underscores the need for standardized processes across centers. We advocate for a selective referral system to specialized centers to prevent capacity overload and ensure timely treatment initiation. Our analysis also identified significant delays in TTI for unplanned 'whoops'-resections, highlighting the importance of early specialist referral in optimizing treatment timelines. This study emphasizes the potential benefits of a streamlined, data-informed approach to sarcoma care. However, further research is required to establish the direct impact of integrated care models on TTI and patient outcomes in the context of sarcoma treatment.