About the CPQR

Highlights and News

• CPQR is very excited to release a suite of self-audit tools for our TQC suite of guidelines. These tools allow programs to evaluate their compliance. We’re also undertaking a comprehensive review of our current TQCs – if you have feedback please complete this survey by 30 November 2020.
• After a robust systematic literature review, CPQR, in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), has endorsed the cervical cancer module of the EORTC PRO for use with patients undergoing radiotherapy in Canada. For more information on this measure, visit our Patient Reported Outcomes page.
• See our new Guidance on the use of Patient Reported Outcomes for Canadian Radiation Treatment Programs for information on how to enhance and optimize the collection and use of patient reported outcomes in clinical routine practice. Assess how your centre complies with CPQR recommendations using our online self-audit tool
• Also be sure to check out the newest addition to CPQR’s TQC suite of guidelines! MRI guidelines are now available and provide direction for assuring optimal performance and safety of radiation treatment equipment and technologies
• Get the Summer 2020 issue of our NSIR-RT Bulletin for part two of incident reporting: importance, challenges and opportunities and our case study on error reporting in a time of pandemic.
• CPQR is excited to announce the release of a Quality Assurance Guidelines for Canadian Radiation Treatment Programs self-audit tool. This tool has been designed to help you measure local compliance against version 4 of the document which includes NEW progressive indicator measures and key quality indicators on staffing levels and palliative peer review.

Our Activities and Beyond

CPQR successfully achieved all key deliverables set forth in its 2010 and 2012 project plans. Moving forward it has developed a plan that capitalizes on the momentum created in these programs while continually striving to raise the bar on quality, safety and system performance initiatives in Canada.

Our new programs focus on:

• Equitable access to radiation treatment across Canada;
• Measure variability in radiation treatment plans by providing guidance on standardizing common nomenclature; and
• Patient reported outcomes to guide clinical care and pan-Canadian performance improvement.

CPQR continues to support its existing programs, encouraging uptake and utilization across the country.

Our Steering Committee

The success of CPQR can be derived in part from the strong initial and sustained engagement of the radiation treatment community, through partnership with the professions involved in radiation treatment planning and delivery: the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO), the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) and the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT).

Recognizing that much of the work undertaken by CPQR requires support and input from provincial cancer agencies, CPQR also includes representation from the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies.  Two patient representatives are also included to ensure that CPQR programs, and strategic priorities address the needs of patients and their families.

Full membership information is available in the About Us page of our website.

Welcome to our new CPQR Steering Committee member, MerryLee McGuffin. Learn more about MerryLee and her work!