WTP8.04 Title: “Meet the Team” – A personalised approach to quality improvement in the DIEP flap service

Introduction Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) reconstruction is a complex surgery that requires cohesive multidisciplinary teamwork. It is well evidenced in its benefits to patients’ physical and psychological wellbeing. However, limited research has been performed into the patients’ perspective and lived experience. Aim To improve our local DIEP service by hosting an interdisciplinary patient feedback event to produce patient guided goals to guide our development. Methods Sixteen randomly selected patients attended a face-to-face event sponsored by our local Breast Cancer Charity. Patients were given a questionnaire pre-event and divided into groups to discuss various themes following the patients’ journey from pre-op to post op. Cross-specialty focus groups of staff then discussed the patients’ concerns and created ‘SMART’ goals to address them. Results Concerns and action plans generated from the discussions are outlined in Table 1. Conclusions This event allowed us to highlight patient directed areas of improvement across all aspects of their journey. By bringing all stakeholders together this has also had a secondary benefit of improved interdisciplinary links and co-ordination of quality improvement in a highly specialist service, something that is difficult to achieve in complex hospitals systems. We believe this model is beneficial and replicable to other services. Table 1.Patient concernsAction planDelayed dischargePost operative pathways with discharge medication bundles.