Nine outpatient oncology group practices have achieved certification through the new American Society of Clinical Oncology Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification pilot.
The ASCO Certification Program awarded certification to the first group of participants, including: Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan, Central Georgia Cancer Care, Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY, Jefferson Health-Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Tennessee Oncology, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nebraska Hematology-Oncology, PC, New England Cancer Specialists, and Memorial Cancer Institute.
“This first round of certifications is a major milestone for the success of this pilot, as it demonstrates that this new model for patient-centered cancer care delivery is achievable for all oncology practices, regardless of their practice setting,” Lori J. Pierce, chair of the Board of the Association for Clinical Oncology, said in a statement.
The pilot includes 88 cancer care sites and nearly 500 oncologists from 12 participating practice groups and health systems. All pilot participants are on track to meet the standards and achieve certification in the coming months.
Certification is based on adherence to the Oncology Medical Home Standards: a single set of comprehensive, expert-backed standards for patient-centered care delivery, published by ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance.
The ASCO-COA Oncology Medical Home Standards focus on seven domains of cancer care, including: patient engagement; availability and access to care; evidence-based medicine; equitable and comprehensive team-based care; quality improvement; goals of care, palliative, and end-of-life care discussions; and chemotherapy safety.
To achieve certification, practices needed to meet a total of 17 care delivery standards and 22 chemotherapy safety standards, for a total of 39 standards.
The pilot is slated to end in summer 2023.
