December 2017

Key drug approvals; alcohol cancer link.

AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare, with insights from key decision makers—from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. Access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.

As oncology practices transition to value-based care, they are challenged to take on more holistic responsibility for their patient. Fortunately, the examples of practices participating in CMS’ Oncology Care Model can offer valuable insight into the most impactful workflow changes providers can implement as they strive to achieve cost and quality improvements.

Coverage from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA)’s Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, held October 23-24 in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Coverage from the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, held October 23-24 in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

The conclusion drawn by panelists participating at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Policy Summit on Redefining Quality Measurement in Oncology was that ensuring access to appropriate data and using that information to improve healthcare outcomes remains an ongoing challenge.

Speaking at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Policy Summit on Redefining Quality Measurement in Oncology, Ronald Walters, MD, MBA, MHA, MS, associate vice president of medical operations and informatics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, emphasized the need to focus on the patient’s preferences and values in cancer care delivery.

The FDA has recognized the need to include the patient's voice in the drug development process. The question is: what is the best way to do this?

There is no shortage of academic, industry, and government sources that identify value as equaling cost/outcomes; there is far less uniformity of opinion when it comes to defining what that means for a particular patient affected by cancer.

New companies are finding patients for clinical trials in remote locations and trimming months off the enrollment process.

The need for physicicans to gather information for electronic health records has changed the nature of the patient visit.