Clinical Pathways

A review of the various value calculators that have emerged to measure the value of cancer therapies—these calculators reflect the interests of their developers and vary substantially in their intention, format, and usability.

Panel participants provide their perspectives on how they would like to see the field of oncology clinical pathways develop.

Panelists explain the need and the challenges with including principles of palliative care in oncology clinical pathways.

Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, shares findings from their recently published study in The American Journal of Managed Care, which showed that patients do not know they are being treated on predetermined pathways.

Neither Blase Polite, MD, MPP, not Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, believe that clinical pathways restrict patient access to care.

According to Blase Polite, MD, MPP, pathways are well-designed to allow personalized medicine.

According to Blase Polite, MD, MPP, it is much harder for a cancer center to adapt care pathways than it is for a smaller clinic.

Expanding the definition of "value" beyond cost, Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, emphasized that clinical pathways need more dynamic quality metrics that provide more than just a snapshot of a patient's performance.

Panelists discussed whether there is any flexibility woven into the process of developing a clinical pathway, especially if a patient does not respond to a particular therapy or if a clinician wants to include a new therapy that may be better fit.

While providers would be relieved of their administrative burden, standardizing care pathways across health plans may not be an easy task, Blase Polite, MD, MPP, explains.

Have clinical pathways in oncology developed enough for providers and patients to use them as a shared decision-making tool? Panelists provide insight.

Experts discuss the need for guidelines and adequate rigor when developing a care pathway in oncology.

What do pathway developers consider as they formulate cancer clinical pathways? Panelists explain.

Panel members provide their own perspective on what clinical pathways encompass.

The American Journal of Managed Care convened an expert panel to discuss the development and utility of clinical pathways in oncology care.

While clinical pathways can help standardize care, considering the multitude of options available for oncology care providers, there is significant push-back from providers as well.

Evidence-Based Oncology invited a panel of experts who are experienced in the creation of oncology care pathways, use them in their practice, and have researched the development and implementation of care pathways, to exchange ideas on the topic.

Despite the fundamental advances in cancer care technology and care delivery that have made these improvements possible, our delivery system remains quite inefficient and frequently falls short of being truly patient-centered. Is a system-based solution the answer?

An overview of the oncology clinical pathways development program at the UPMC CancerCenter and how it led to the creation of Via Oncology, a clinical pathways vendor.

Cancer pathways can potentially improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Recent concerns about pathway adoption deserve attention, including excessive administrative burden to clinics.

We offer recommendations for the development and design of clinical pathways in an effort to establish a set of normative criteria that creates trust and transparency.

Members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have articulated concerns regarding the current proliferation of clinical pathways in oncology that could affect patient access and care quality. In response, ASCO established an ad hoc Task Force, which issued a policy statement to guide the future development and implementation of these treatment management tools.