Lani Alison on How Innovation Is Being Used to Improve Quality Metrics in Oncology

Innovation is being used to improve quality metrics in oncology care when it comes to the patient and in data, explained Lani M. Alison, BSN, MS, HCQ, PCMH, CCE, vice president of Clinical Affairs, Regional Cancer Care Associates.

Transcript

How is innovation being used to improve quality metrics in oncology care?

Innovation is being used in many different ways. There’s innovation at the patient forefront, and then there’s also innovation in data. So, what I really deal with is pretty much data that is then translated into the practice, and we need to have evidence-based data in studies that is really written by innovation. When we have innovative patient assistance, for example, or innovative strategies to improve patient outcomes, this has really been very helpful. When we say, “so is this an innovation or is this what we have done before?” innovation can be a new way of doing things from already proven tactics.

For example, care management. Care management was an innovation a few years ago, maybe 10 years ago, so we then improved it to care coordination. When we care manage patients, it’s not only with a provider that has given the opportunity to care manage a patient, but also it goes beyond that to other providers that are also taking care of the patients. So, that is an innovation in the way we manage patients outside of the acute care facilities.