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Demonstrating Measurable Value: Distress Screening

By Amanda Patton, MA

City of Hope integrated its digital touch-screen distress screening tool, SupportScreen, with its EHR to identify, summarize, and triage patients’ needs in real time. Now, biopsychosocial screening is built into the standard of care as the cancer program prioritizes patients’ psychosocial and clinical needs at each medical appointment.

Also in This Issue:

• Creating an Oncology Practice Plant That Can Change with the Times
  After a state-wide healthcare system consolidated numerous private medical oncologists into an employed-physician model, learn how oncology leaders redefined the practice plan to reward non-RVU-generating activities, reduce variation in physician income, improve provider collaboration, and increase clinical trial participation and physician sub-specialization.
• Tailoring Distress Screening in Oncology Populations: Timing Distress Screening in Surgically Resectable Esophageal Cancer
  Guidelines and best practices for distress screening often follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Find out how this cancer program developed a clinical pathway with distress screening recommendations to better meet the needs of this highly vulnerable patient population.
• Mining Data to Improve Care Coordination of Patients with Hematologic Malignancies
  This cancer program completed a retrospective chart review of patients to identify patient-, disease-, and medication-related factors that played a role in the increase of unplanned hospital readmission rates.
• Cancer Care from the Comfort of Your Car: Moffitt’s Curbside Clinic Gives Patients Another Option for Accessing Care
  Patients do not want to spend more time than necessary in the clinic waiting to receive their treatment. To prioritize patient safety and needs, this cancer program developed a drive-through clinic to offer patients select treatment injections and lab draws from within their vehicles.
• Transitioning Select Chemotherapeutics to the Outpatient Setting Improves Care and Reduces Costs
  Find out how 2020 ACCC Innovator Award winner University of Arizona Cancer Center, transitioned administration of certain chemotherapy regimens to the outpatient setting, reducing costs of care, allowing the cancer program to bill drug waste, improving patient satisfaction and treatment adherence, and freeing up inpatient beds for those who truly need them.
• What Does Leading with Mindfulness and Compassion Look Like?
  Oncology Issues spoke with Leah Weiss, PhD, to learn why compassion is critical in all levels of healthcare—from the clinic to the boardroom—as well as compassion’s role in improving resiliency and building a more equitable and diverse workforce.
• Improving Care Coordination for Advanced NSCLC
  To help cancer care team members better understand the landscape of non-small cell lung cancer, ACCC conducted a national, double blind, comprehensive survey. In this article, ACCC shares discipline-specific findings from pathologists and pulmonologists.
• Care Coordination: The Role of Pharmacy to Help Manage Patients with Cancer on Oral Oncolytics
  This ACCC education program shares key highlights from an online survey and effective practices developed from focus groups at four cancer program representing diverse regions, program size, and dispensing models.

Compliance

• Highlights from the CY 2022 MPFS and HOPPS Proposed Rules

Spotlight

• Maryland Oncology Hematology

Views

• Celebrating Cancer Survivors During COVID-19

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