CancerLinQ LLC, a wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary of ASCO, and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have recently formed the CancerLinQ® Ambassadors Program. This new collaboration is a national practice engagement initiative that will provide on-the-ground support and guidance to CancerLinQ participating practices on a regional basis.
CancerLinQ is a powerful database—created by oncologists, for oncologists—made up of vast amounts of usable, searchable, real-world cancer information. This big-data initiative will allow users to see trends among millions of patients by analyzing patient medical records, uncovering patterns that can improve patient care, and enabling the entire health-care team to compare their care against that of their peers and recommended guidelines.
Extending the reach and overall programmatic impact, oncology nurses will play a critical role in CancerLinQ’s successful adoption in all practice settings. With more than 39,000 members and expertise in developing and implementing educational and oncology nurse consulting programs, ONS is well positioned to enhance the value add of CancerLinQ through nurse involvement in a way that ultimately benefits patients with cancer.
The CancerLinQ Ambassadors Program will launch in selected regions of the United States, with the long-term goal of expanding nationwide. ONS will recruit credentialed nurses from its membership with experience in quality improvement, informatics, and technology to provide guidance in the field. Ambassadors will visit practices on a regularly scheduled basis to answer questions and perform trainings for oncologists, oncology nurses, and practice staff, bringing back on-the-ground observations and feedback to augment CancerLinQ services and overall user experience. In addition, Ambassadors will work with practices to optimize the quality of the data they are sharing with CancerLinQ, disseminate best practices, and provide coaching on how to integrate the platform into their workflow within their care team model.
CancerLinQ is a project of CancerLinQ LLC. For more information on how to participate or partner with CancerLinQ, please visit CancerLinQ.org. ■
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