Interviews

Dr Stephen Grubbs on the Refresh of ASCO's PCOP Model

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Stephen Grubbs, MD, vice president of clinical affairs at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, explains what stakeholders can expect from the new updates to the Patient-Centered Oncology Payment (PCOP) model, as well as some key differences between PCOP and the Oncology Care Model.

We need to find someone who’s doing very strong, rigorous research and then we need to find someone who’s doing work on really important topics, says Michael E. Chernew, PhD, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy; director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School; and co-editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Managed Care®.

Dr Blase Polite on the State of the OCM

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Blase Polite, MD, associate professor of medicine and the executive director for accountable care at the University of Chicago, discusses why he chose to focus on the state of the Oncology Care Model at the April 25 meeting of the Institute for Value-Based Medicine.

As we move away from a system of external development grants that help us maintain our HIV models to a system where our returns on investment support the work that we do, there’s a concern that there will be some slimming down of services that get patients in to our practice, explained Stella A. Safo, MD, assistant professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr Bryan Loy on Mandatory Bundled Payments and the Role of Payers

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Payers, providers, and other stakeholders have to come together to figure out how to make a better patient member experience for those who are fighting cancer, said Bryan Loy, MD, physician lead, oncology, laboratory, and personalized medicine, Humana.

Jessa Dunivan Outlines Areas for Improvement Where Care Management Can Help

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After the first 2 performance periods of the Oncology Care Model, it became clear hospice care was an area where Northwest Medical Specialties could improve, and care coordinators could help, said Jessa Dunivan, patient services manager, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Beth Wittmer: Care Management Programs Help Deter Hospitalizations

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Having a care management team in place builds trust with patients so they are caught before something really serious happens that sends them to the emergency department, said Beth Wittmer, RN, OCN, manager of care management at Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute.

Abra Kelson Explains How Social Workers Help Patients Overcome Challenges

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The standard treatment isn’t always right for everyone, and part of a social worker’s job as a member of the care team is to understand the patient’s goals and what treatment is the right fit for them, said Abra Kelson, MSW, LSWA-IC, medical social work supervisor, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Awards need to also recognize researchers whose work has an impact on policy and can be translated for policy makers and even the broader public to understand, said Dana Goldman, PhD, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and director of the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and USC School of Pharmacy.

Dr Rhonda Voskuhl Outlines the Importance of Studying Sex Differences in MS

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Sex differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been known for some time, and studying these differences benefit both sexes, explained Rhonda Voskuhl, MD, Jack H. Skirball chair of MS research, director of the MS program, and professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr Ray Page Details How Physicians Currently Use Data at the Point of Care

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Using oncology care pathways and treatment pathways has helped practices use evidence-based data to facilitate them to be sure they are using the right drug for the right patient at the right time, said Ray Page, DO, PhD, president and director of research at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Dr John W. Sweetenham Addresses Disparities in Cancer Care and FDA Intervention

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There are disparities in access to innovative therapies and entries into clinical trials, but FDA's recent proposed guidance could help close gaps, said John W. Sweetenham, MD, senior director of clinical affairs and executive medical director, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah.

Dr Michael E. Chernew Details the Role of The American Journal of Managed Care®

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Most academic journals are researchers talking to researchers, butThe American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is typically researchers talking to the community, says Michael E. Chernew, PhD, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy; director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School; and co-editor-in-chief of AJMC®.

Jessa Dunivan Highlights the Various Members of Care Teams

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The care team is made up of a number of members, who work together to uncover and then address any barriers that patients have, said Jessa Dunivan, patient services manager, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Dave Fried Discusses Benefit Design and Rising Healthcare Costs

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Employees have seen their healthcare costs rise about as much as they can, and the employers have also taken on about as much burden as they can, so now they’re looking at things that they can do and strategies that they can take to make sure that they’re providing the right benefits to the right people, says Dave Fried, chief executive officer of Tricore Human Capital Management.