Cancer is a complex disease to treat an patients can be overwhelmed by the number of care providers that they have to consult with. In this scenario, care navigators can provide significant support to patients and their family members.
"Patients may see many providers, including their primary care physician, the oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a pharmacy, and a slew of others, all of whom contribute immeasurably to the process,' said Joseph Alvarnas, MD. But who should carry the responsibility to navigate the patient through the entire cancer care journey, he asked.
Rebekkah Schear, MIA, agreed with Alvarnas that although there have been big strides on ideas for care coordination, implementation barriers exist. A very common encounter for patients, she said, is lack of communication between 2 of their providers who might be part of 2 different healthcare systems. "It's not uncommon that we hear that the patient and their family and caregivers are sort of being bumped around between their primary care provider, between the social worker that might be supporting them, their counselor or psychosocial expert, and their oncologist, the surgical expert, the surgeon that's helping them in addition to any of the other sort of non-clinical providers that are providing support practically and financially as well," she added.
Schear believes that trying to harmonize the team is very important and that reimbursement policies for the navigators, care managers, and the services is a necessary and important amendment for oncology care policies.
Michael Kolodziej, MD, added that care models such as the Oncology Care Model have set aside payment for a care navigator, but he is a firm believer that technology can play a vital role in this process. He emphasized, however, that we need to revamp the fragmentation that exists within information technology (IT) platforms.
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
A new study highlights significant disparity in reimbursement rates across states between hospitals and Medicare; the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney has died; research examines outcomes of over 500 patients receiving medication abortion pills by mail.
Read More
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Dr Justin Bekelman
December 19th 2023Justin Bekelman, MD, director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation, sat with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for our final episode of 2023 to discuss the importance of collaboration between academic medicine and community oncology and testing innovative cancer care delivery in these settings.
Listen
The Joint Commission is launching the Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program to standardize staff training and patient care practices at rural health clinics nationwide; the American Cancer Society recently launched the largest-ever study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women; the HHS COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by preventing illness and related costs.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
A new study highlights significant disparity in reimbursement rates across states between hospitals and Medicare; the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney has died; research examines outcomes of over 500 patients receiving medication abortion pills by mail.
Read More
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Dr Justin Bekelman
December 19th 2023Justin Bekelman, MD, director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation, sat with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for our final episode of 2023 to discuss the importance of collaboration between academic medicine and community oncology and testing innovative cancer care delivery in these settings.
Listen
The Joint Commission is launching the Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program to standardize staff training and patient care practices at rural health clinics nationwide; the American Cancer Society recently launched the largest-ever study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women; the HHS COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by preventing illness and related costs.
Read More
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512