On October 25, 2023, ASCO announced the launch of its new flagship quality program ASCO Certified™, with the goal of ensuring that every patient with cancer has access to high-quality, patient-centered, coordinated cancer care.1 The program, which officially launched on October 27, 2023, to coincide with the start of the ASCO Quality Care Symposium in Boston, certifies oncology group practices and health systems that meet a single set of comprehensive, evidence-based oncology medical home standards from ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA).2
These standards focus on seven domains of cancer care, including patient engagement; availability and access to care; evidence-based medicine; equitable and comprehensive team-based care; quality improvement; goals-of-care, palliative, and end-of-life care discussions; and chemotherapy safety.
Supporting Oncology Practices in a Challenging Environment
ASCO Certified was developed based on real-world feedback from a pilot program that included 12 practice groups and health systems across 95 sites and among 500 oncologists from a variety of practice settings, including community, hospital, academic, and rural environments.
“We believe that the ASCO Certified program will support practices as they strive to deliver optimal care in the face of an evolving and challenging environment,” said ASCO’s Chief Executive Officer Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, in a statement. “This program focuses on the most important stakeholders—the patients. It provides them a medical home and it empowers practices to embrace value-based care while enhancing quality.”
“When the entire cancer care team uses comprehensive care standards that are focused on quality and value, a model emerges that puts patients at the center,” added Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, Director of Clinical Initiatives at the COA, in a statement. “We are proud to collaborate on the certification program, because when practices use a team-based approach to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care, outcomes of the cancer care delivery system are improved.”
Delivering High-Quality, Equitable Care for Every Patient With Cancer
According to the feedback from the pilot program, all participants benefited from having a blueprint for delivering high-quality cancer care. In addition, 90% said they experienced new, more efficient ways to provide care; participants noted that improved care coordination resulted in less waste, more time spent with patients, and more fulfilling work; the practices routinely found hidden opportunities to improve care for patients and the function of their business; and 90% of the practices agreed that they made tangible improvements in equitable care for patients.
“We’re confident that this new model of patient-centered cancer care delivery is achievable for all oncology practices, regardless of their practice setting,” said Dr. Hudis. “By doing the work to meet these standards, ASCO Certified practices will be better equipped to deliver high-quality, equitable, evidence-based care for every single patient.”
Becoming ASCO Certified
To become ASCO Certified, oncology practices must demonstrate compliance with the oncology medical home standards, including undergoing an onsite survey every 3 years as well as following ongoing measurement and continuous quality improvement standards.
To submit an application to become ASCO Certified and to find resources, including the standards manual and participation guide, visit ASCO Certified at practice.asco.org/quality-improvement/quality-programs/asco-certified.
REFERENCES
1. ASCO Practice Central: ASCO Certified: Patient-Centered Cancer Care Standards. Available at https://practice.asco.org/quality-improvement/quality-programs/asco-certified. Accessed October 26, 2023.
2. ASCO Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification Featuring ASCO and COA Oncology Medical Home: Oncology Medical Home Standards Manual, June 2023. Available at https://practice.asco.org/sites/default/files/drupalfiles/APC4/2023-APC4-Certification-Standards-Manual.pdf.
