ACCC 43rd Annual Meeting, CANCERSCAPE
It was an action packed 2 days at the ACCC 43rd Annual Meeting, CANCERSCAPE held in Washington, D.C. Since I live in Maryland, it was less than an hour drive. The sessions were extremely informative and it was a pleasure seeing colleagues and hearing top-notch presentations on value-based care and patient-centered care. Below are my take aways from this conference based on conversations (many of them) I’ve had with colleagues in the industry and lectures I attended.
Along with Dr. Robert Carlson, MD, NCCN, and Stephen Grubbs, MD, ASCO panelist Ali McBride, PharmD, MD, BCPS, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, offered advice during a session titled “Value-Based Frameworks”.
- Carlson explained how NCCN developed a visual tool called NCCN blocks as a way to compare treatment options and select a treatment that brings value to east individual patient. He stressed the importance of incorporating the patient’s values when using NCCN blocks when he said “We have to capture the patient’s values in order to make treatment decisions.” To read more on NCCN blocks click here.
- Grubbs explained how ASCO is in the process of building a Value Framework that drives communication with patients focused on financial toxicity, treatment benefit and cost and measures a net health benefit score.
- McBride discussed how, although necessary, these upfront discussions may lead to changes in treatment due to unaffordable out of pocket costs. He stressed the importance of obtaining the patient perspective when he said “real world data will provide us with better information about our patient populations.”
Panelist Lindsay Conway, MSEd, Advisory Board described 5 healthcare trends impacting cancer care in the presentation on “The State of Today’s Cancer Programs”.
- Reimbursement and reform are at a turning point
- Lindsay stressed the role private payers have had in directing cancer patients to lower priced care.
- Enhanced Care Navigation will be necessary as cancer patient co-morbidities increase.
- Lindsay described how Dr. Gabrielle Rocque’s program at UAB has been successful in incorporating distress screening and states “distress screening is the anchor of effective navigation.”
- The rise of telehealth in cancer care
- Virtual care (apps and internet) are expected to increase as they are reducing cost costs, increasing access and increasing education.
- Patients are acting more like consumers
- Patients have increasing expectations and are using online reviews like Zocdoc and Angie’s List to make or change decisions regarding their health care providers.
- Navigation precision medicine
- With the growth of precision comes challenges including how to stay educated regarding the updates, how to invest in new equipment and how to apply precision medicine advances.
These points hit right in the epicenter of what we’re trying to accomplish at Carevive. Our solutions are intended to bring the patients voice in the clinical workflow and capturing real-world evidence. How can Carevive help oncology practices meet the Value Based Frameworks?
- Capture and incorporate patient priorities and values throughout the cancer experience into their care
- Patient engagement / ePROS / eDistress screening
- Navigation and care coordination from diagnosis
- Provide personalized treatment planning meeting the OCM measures
- Address financial toxicity from the start
- Leverage existing data to provide personalized care throughout treatment
To learn more about how Carevive can help your program incorporate initiatives like these into your workflow. request a meeting here. I’d be more than happy to speak with you and learn about your goals, needs, and challenges in your practice.
