Who is eligible to participate in this program?

All breast centers are welcome to participate. For more information about participation eligibility, click here.

Do I need to be an NCBC member to participate?

No, you do not. Participants may want to consider the benefit of a membership with the NCBC, as it will enhance networking opportunities to gather ideas on performance improvement.

What is a breast center?

The management of breast diseases, including the screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, require the interaction of multiple specialists in multiple departments. These include, but are not limited to, surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, plastic surgery, physical therapy, behavioral medicine and nursing. While many or most of these services exist in most health systems, the idea of a breast center is to organize these services into a coordinated, integrated multidisciplinary approach for the benefit of the patient. Breast centers may have all their services available under one roof, or may be a "center without walls," organizing services located at different physical sites under unified leadership.

Can I start anytime I want to?

Yes, you may start at any time. Entering your data is dependent upon your schedule, the availability of staff to secure and enter the data and when you or your administration wants to compare themselves with others on a measure. Once you enter data you will have immediate comparisons.

Do I need to complete all the measures at once?

No, each participant may complete each measure at their own pace. However, it is beneficial to complete the measures as soon as possible in order to begin benefiting from the comparison reports.

Can I view a complete list of the measures before I participate?

Yes. Click here to view a complete list of the measures. If you have further questions about the measures, please contact the NQMBC™ Program's support staff via email at ncbc@breastcare.org.

How can I use the information contained in the comparison reports?

The reports generated can be printed and used with your administration or even in your marketing efforts. This is a great way to show that your center is interested in the quality of it's patients by participating in the NQMBC™ Program. Comparison reports are also evidence that continuous attention is being paid to measure quality and steps are being taken to improve or maintain performance.

I am the manager of multiple breast center sites within one healthcare system. How do I enter all of my data for each center?

Each site must have its own unique quality profile and login information. A separate data entry person and oversight person must be identified on each data validity agreement.

If I was a participant in the older version of this program, do I need to re-enter my center's Profile data into Phase I?

Yes, data is being measured differently in the new version of the program, so we do need all centers who participated in the old version of the program to re-enter their Profile data.

If I was a participant in the older version of this program, do I need to re-enter my center's data into the measures (Phase II of the program)?

No. All previous participants' data will be carried over into the new system of the measures.

Are you working with the ACS and their quality program?

Yes. The NCBC is providing the ACS with information on Breast Center types and also have members serving on their Board. The major difference between the two programs is that the NAPBC is an on-site survey addressing structural components of care while the NQMBC™ is an online program addressing processes of quality care and specific quality performance indicators.

Didn't find the answer to your question here? Contact the NQMBC™ Program support staff through the NCBC using the information listed below:

Phone: 574-267-8058
Fax: 574-267-8268
Email: ncbc@breastcare.org