Interviews

Susan Escudier, MD, FACP, vice president of value-based and quality programs for Texas Oncology, discusses how collaboration between oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) can improve patient satisfaction and outcomes.

Amal Agarwal, DO, MBA, chief clinical officer at Monogram Health, explains the importance of value-based agreements in dialysis care, and the issue of dialysis prevalence among low-income and marginalized communities.

The best leaders are those who foster open communication, says Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, who appeared at The American Journal of Managed Care®’s Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event on population health in Kansas City, Missouri.

Keeping up-to-date on information, whether it is about clinical matters or information systems, is critical to a deliberate learning mindset that is beneficial to health care providers, says Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, the senior medical director for Optum Care Kansas City.

Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, Tennessee Oncology, co-authored a recent paper on the complexities of the rural cancer experience; the principal conclusion was potential for a streamlined care process to optimize care efficiencies and access, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Challenges around data are mostly around data itself, particularly if it is not timely, says Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, the senior medical director for Optum Care Kansas City.

Using evidence and being open-minded are 2 strategies for providers shifting to new models of delivering care, says Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, senior medical director for Optum Care Kansas City.

For all the success the hematology/oncology space has seen over the past 20-plus years, difficult discussions now focus on paying for that care, explained David A. Eagle, MD, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists.

There are various areas across different patient care and support perspectives that offer opportunities to improve value-based care in oncology, said Ryan Huey, MD, gastrointestinal medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

In a value-based cancer care model, patients can more easily access the best quality care and practices can get adequately paid for the services they offer.

Ryan Huey, MD, gastrointestinal medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, discussed the vital roles multiple health care providers play in improving outcomes for patients with cancer.

Close to 80% of what influences how long someone is going to live is where and how they live, and we need to pay more attention to that or we’re not paying attention to everything that affects their lives, explained David A. Eagle, MD, of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists.

Many people believe health equity is such a big issue that there is not much an individual practice can do to address it, explained Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy, Oncology Consultants of Houston.

Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates’ No One Left Alone initiative works to dismantle cancer health disparities and increase health care equity among its rural patient population. Sashi Naidu, MD, director of research, discusses delivering next-generation sequencing testing to patients.

Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Tennessee Oncology, discusses the present state of value-based oncology care and what the future may bring when the Enhancing Oncology Model kicks off on July 1.

David A. Eagle, MD, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, discusses the present state of treatment for cancer, which often sees patient financial concerns outweighed by the cost of treatment.

We’ve found through health equity initiatives that the search for the right telehealth modality is never ending, explained Oncology Consultants of Houston’s Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy.

At Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, the No One Left Alone (NOLA) initiative is working to break down cancer health disparities among its patients by addressing the social determinants of health that may be preventing equitable access to care.

Big data has valuable implications for analyzing datasets and in day-to-day clinical practice, explained Ken Cohen, MD, director of translational research for Optum Care.

Patients with higher health literacy and access to resources to self-advocate are more likely to benefit from health care consolidation, discussed Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy for Oncology Consultants of Houston, Texas.

Ken Cohen, MD, director of translational research for Optum Care, talks about the value of prior authorizations in different contexts, and how simplicity can benefit the process in some situations.

Hilary Tindle, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, at Vanderbilt University, discusses how the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) can help inform doctors and patients on choosing the optimal treatment for quitting smoking.

Susan Sabo-Wagner MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy for Oncology Consultants of Houston, Texas, explained how cultural competency allows for better care delivery to patients with cancer.

Initiatives to address social determinants of health are likely to positively change the health care landscape, and better patient education can contribute to more favorable care choices says Ken Cohen, MD, director of translational research for Optum Care.

Creating new incentive models and transparently sharing data in a way that changes behaviors are 2 ways to reduce low-value care in the health care system, explains Ken Cohen, MD, director of translational research for Optum Care.

Michael Paull, MD, medical director of primary/urgent care and continuous improvement at the Vancouver Clinic (TVC), explained how TVC was able to improve its hypertension metrics to align with CMS' targets.

Hilary Tindle, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, Vanderbilt University, discusses the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) is and how it's used to help identify vulnerable individuals for lung cancer and heart disease.

Moving screening and prevention care more upstream can help make an impact by getting patients diagnosed with cancer earlier, said Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy for Oncology Consultants of Houston, Texas.