Publication date: May 16, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant disruptions in healthcare systems, particularly impacting cancer care through delays in diagnoses and treatments. Quality indicators (QIs) are essential tools for monitoring healthcare performance, yet existing QIs may not be suited for crises. This study aimed to develop a set of hospital-based QIs tailored to assess the impact of care reorganization during health crises across four cancer types: breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gynecological cancers (excluding ovarian cancer), and peritoneal carcinomatosis. A multidisciplinary steering committee (SC) conducted a five-stage process, including a literature review, indicator selection, content validation via the RAND/UCLA method, final validation by the SC, and a pilot feasibility study. QIs were assessed based on clinical relevance, reproducibility, sensitivity to change, and feasibility. Expert panels evaluated and validated the indicators in two rounds of voting. Among 150 initially identified QIs, 49 were validated: 12 for breast cancer, 11 for hepatocellular carcinoma, 8 for gynecological cancers, and 18 for peritoneal carcinomatosis. Most (92%) were process indicators, covering diagnosis, treatment, and care delays. Two common indicators were identified across all four cancers: multidisciplinary team meeting discussions and psychological support consultations. This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing crisis-responsive QIs to monitor cancer care during health system disruptions. Future work will focus on their real-time implementation, validation in international settings, and integration into healthcare policies to enhance crisis preparedness.

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