Evaluating current quality indicators used in the care of adult patients with glioblastoma: A scoping review of the literature.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain neoplasm in adults, characterized by high recurrence and poor post-recurrence survival. Validated quality indicators (QIs) have been used to assess the quality of care in many cancer populations, now providing clinicians, researchers, and healthcare policymakers with evidence-based metrics to enhance patient outcomes. In contrast, few glioblastoma-specific QIs have been described and their impact and meaningfulness are yet to be determined. Methods: A scoping review was conducted of described QIs for adult patients with GBM. The literature was screened for relevance, and eligible QIs were evaluated and grouped into 5 domains: pre-intervention, surgical, postsurgical, supportive care, and recurrence/survival. Results: A total of 80 articles were retrieved, with 12 of these studies meeting inclusion criteria. Twenty-six QIs were identified across the 5 care domains. Evidence linking these QIs directly to improved survival or quality of life is variable. Some QIs have solid evidence of impact (eg, accurate tissue diagnosis), while others are based on reasonably assumed benefits rather than robust evidence (eg, early palliative care referral). Frail or older patients and those with recurrent GBM are subsets with the least high-quality QIs. Conclusions: Current QIs potentially provide valuable benchmarks to assess and optimize care in adults with glioblastoma, but many are yet to be supported by high-quality clinical evidence, with greater gaps in some patient populations. Further research is required to define and validate QIs that robustly assess quality of care, supporting urgent efforts to improve patient outcomes for this poor prognosis of cancer.