Patient-Centered Oncology Care, Guidelines, and Expertise Drive Value in Practice: Seungjean Chai, MD

Navigating multidisciplinary care in oncology should always be patient-focused, Seungjean Chai, MD, a gastrointestinal (GI) and GI cancer specialist at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Center, said in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^® at the Institute of Value-Based Medicine® (IVBM) event in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 31, 2026.

Chai, a panelist in the session “Balancing the Scales: Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Oncology Value,” emphasized that oncology care must consistently begin with the patient experience, regardless of practice size or setting.

“It’s not a balance. You always start with the patient,” he said, noting that care pathways must be designed for ease of access and continuity across the treatment journey.

He highlighted how rapid advances in oncology—with more than 400 FDA approvals over the past decade—have dramatically increased disease complexity. Conditions such as lymphoma and non–small cell lung cancer now include multiple biologically distinct subtypes requiring individualized treatment approaches. This evolving landscape, he explained, makes structured pathways and clinical guidelines essential.

“When things are changing that rapidly, the first thing is pathways and guidelines,” Chai said, referencing National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and institutional protocols as key tools for standardizing care.

However, he stressed that guidelines alone are not enough. Subspecialty physician leadership is necessary to interpret rapidly evolving evidence and translate it into practice.

“You really need subspecialty physician leaders who are truly experts in their field,” he said, noting that disease-specific experts help elevate care quality across both academic and community oncology settings.

Chai also underscored the importance of partnerships between academic centers, community practices, and industry to improve access to advanced therapies and reduce disparities. Geographic barriers and uneven distribution of specialized centers continue to limit equitable access to novel treatments.

Ultimately, he emphasized that delivering high-value oncology care depends on aligning systems around patients, strengthening communication across care settings, and integrating subspecialty expertise to ensure equitable access to rapidly advancing therapies.