By working to improve oncology care in practices in Michigan through integration of ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) into its Physician Group Incentive Program, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) has been selected as a 2011 “Best of Blue Clinical Distinction Award” winner by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
The Best of Blue Clinical Distinction Award showcases best practices that focus on reducing medical costs while improving quality, affordability, and patient safety and is open to all Blue plans nationally. In 2011, 48 programs underwent a rigorous and objective review for the award, and in early December, eight were named as “Best of Blue” winners in this category.
“QOPI is a unique approach to supporting oncology practices in providing high quality care in the most efficient manner to patients undergoing treatment for cancer,” said Kimberley Harrison, BCBSM’s initiative leader for QOPI. “The ‘Best of Blue Award’ is a testament to the successful collaboration between the payer and the provider community to lead quality improvements and the oncology provider community’s desire to provide the best care possible to their patients with cancer,” Ms. Harrison said.
Data Requirements
QOPI is the first national program to help outpatient oncology practices assess and improve the quality of care they deliver. Oncology practices participating through BCBSM are required to enter data on core measures, care-at-the-end-of-life measures, and one additional module of their choice from QOPI’s domain-specific or disease-specific modules. They then receive semiannual data reports on these measures to guide their quality improvement efforts. Through a data use agreement with the Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, a quality collaborative funded by BCBSM to improve care provided to patients with cancer in Michigan, the participating practices review the information and identify focused projects to improve their scores
“We are pleased to see the positive impact participation in QOPI has had on oncology practices in Michigan,” said Allen S. Lichter, MD, CEO of ASCO. “Our hope is that the recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield will encourage increased collaboration between payers and providers to provide the highest quality care to people living with cancer.”■
© 2012. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
