Michael Kenneth Keng, MD, of the University of Virginia, gives a status update on this international program, and discusses future initiatives which include coaching mentorship and publishing articles on quality care (Abstract 7).
Angela M. Stover, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses ASCO’s initiative to develop patient-based performance measures for assessing and managing symptoms. The measures have made substantial differences in reducing nausea, constipation, and insomnia (Abstract 173).
Manali I. Patel, MD, of Stanford Cancer Center, discusses enhancing value for patients with cancer treated by community practitioners at the end of life by also utilizing trained lay health workers in a novel intervention that reduced the use of acute care and emergency department visits while improving quality of life.
Cary P. Gross, MD, of Yale School of Medicine, discusses the challenges of implementing pathways and guiding patient decision-making on treatment.
Nadine Housri, MD, of the Yale School of Medicine, talks about a new paradigm in sharing knowledge from tumor board discussions at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, with community oncologists on themednet.org. Currently, thoracic, breast, and GI cancers are included, with plans to expand the scope (Abstract 272).
Joseph O. Jacobson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and this year’s recipient of the award for excellence in quality cancer care, discusses the need for quality improvement (QI) to encompass systems of care, the role of QI in preventing suffering, how poor quality affects patient safety, and the ways in which oncologists can learn from errors in other industries.
