|
 |
Volume 5, Number 3 (March 2008) | ||||||
Letter from the Editor |
||||||
118 |
Riding the wave The West Clinic, Memphis, TN The tsunami of quality measurement in oncology is coming ever closer, and it threatens to overwhelm those basking on the beach, oblivious and practicing the same old style of cancer care. But those preparing for the tidal wave to hit might be rewarded with metaphorical new beachfront property, such as preferred contracts. This issue of Community Oncology focuses on where we currently stand in defining, measuring, implementing, and rewarding quality oncology care. One thing we know for certain: the need to prove that we deliver quality care is a concept that isn’t going away. Since community oncologists are overwhelmingly the ones providing cancer management, we need to actively participate in quality initiatives rather than accede them to those removed from patient care, whose motivations vary. There’s still time to ride the top of the wave rather than be inundated and pulled under. Get involved in the process.
|
|||||
Community Dialogue |
||||||
127 |
Archimedes: oncology’s next top model? A maverick since his days in medical school during the 1970s and in the early 1980s when he coined the term “evidence-based medicine,” David Eddy has been challenging conventional wisdom by analyzing data to understand the impact of medical screening and therapies. He is the prime mover behind Archimedes, the model, as well as Archimedes, the company, which is part of Kaiser Permanente. The model is now poised to affect cancer screening guidelines and treatments; the recommended changes could be as profound as those made—and adopted—for managing diabetes and heart disease. Community Oncology Editor Dr. Linda Bosserman, spoke recently with Dr. Eddy about what’s ahead.
| |||||
Community Translations |
||||||
133 |
Bendamustine in chronic lymphocytic leukemia A novel hybrid compound that combines the properties of an alkylating agent with those of a purine analog, bendamustine (Treanda) currently has orphan drug status in the United States for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A decision by the US Food and Drug Administration regarding approval for its use in CLL is expected by March 20, 2008. Studies are ongoing to define the exact role of bendamustine in the management of CLL, as well as relapsed, indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But it is a promising drug with an excellent side-effect profile and is highly active, even in patients whose disease fails to respond to current standard treatment options. | |||||
FROM THE COMMUNITY ONCOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE Department of Hematology and Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
| ||||||
Quality Care |
||||||
136 |
Customizing EMR clickables Wilshire Oncology Medical Group, Inc., La Verne, CA Adopting electronic medical records (EMR) is a lengthy and often frustrating process. Many practices are beginning to realize that the EMR out of the box needs to be constantly adapted and modified to deliver the reporting that will serve practices in this new quality- and value-focused environment. The experience of one practice shows that a concerted effort to customize EMR to the care delivered offers big rewards: reduced errors, improved efficiency, and concise documentation.
| |||||
139 |
PQRI: should you take part? Director of Policy Analysis, Community Oncology Alliance, Washington, DC The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) includes 119 measures for which physicians collect and report their practice data. The program is largely considered a precursor to a mandatory pay-for-performance program Medicare will roll out, probably within the next 2 years. Although most people agree that efforts to improve quality and standardize physician quality measures are beneficial, many are skeptical that PQRI will achieve the desired outcome.
| |||||
145 |
Quality measurement in oncology practices Oncology Metrics, llc, Fort Worth, TX; Surveillance Data, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA; and Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, Scarborough, ME Since the Medical Group Management Association stopped publishing an oncology-specific report a few years ago, oncology practice administrators have had few benchmarking opportunities. A number of initiatives have started to fill the gap. However, there are difficulties involved in data collection, given the variability of data among practices. Because comparative practice data are so scarce, these types of benchmarking projects are useful. The process is evolving, and in this article, the authors detail some important steps being made.
| |||||
153 |
Opinion leaders on quality in cancer: views from the field DGH Consulting and Connecticut Oncology Association, South Windsor, CT Key thought leaders involved with defining and measuring quality in cancer care weigh in. In this article, you’ll read the views of Joseph R. Bailes, MD, of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; Francois de Brantes, MS, MBA, of Bridges to Excellence; Matthew Farber, MA, of the Association of Community Cancer Centers; William McGivney, PhD, of the National Comphrehensive Cancer Network; Lee Newcomer, MD, of UnitedHealthcare, and Burton Vanderlaan of Aetna. | |||||
COMMENTARY EB Rubinstein Associates, Oak Park, CA
| ||||||
Having Your Say |
||||||
125 |
Quality and oncology: who’s on first? DGH Consulting and Connecticut Oncology Association, South Windsor, CT Defining quality care in oncology may be a slippery task, but clinicians must take the lead in the debate. Your practice and patients depend on it.
| |||||
Washington Update |
||||||
130 |
Taking political action Political apathy is no longer an option. That message was sounded throughout at the recent Community Oncology Conference held in Washington, DC.
| |||||
© 2008 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. |
||||||
43 kb