Social Workers First-Time Treatment Assessment.

164Background: Supporting emotional, psychological, financial and spiritual well-being of patients has been shown to have a positive impact on quality of life and patient experience. Social workers in our outpatient cancer center are responsible for completing new patient assessments at the start of chemotherapy treatment to provide early access to psychosocial support services. Assessments are to be completed within three weeks of the patient’s first chemotherapy treatment. Connecting with patients early in the care experience allows social workers to proactively assist with education, support and link patients to vital resources. Methods: Completed assessments were tracked and from October through December 2017. The social workers leveraged the use of data analytics and a team based approach to increase the number of new patient assessments completed within the first 3 weeks of chemotherapy. Weekly 30-minute huddles were held using problem solving methods, including brain storming, cause and effect diag...