Adopting Machine Learning-Enabled Decision Support to Improve Oncology End-of-Life Outcomes - [Mini Podcast] Ep 199

In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Andrew Munchel, MSN, RN, OCN, CPHQ, quality program administrator, oncology service line at WellSpan Health, WellSpan Cancer Institute about his program’s receipt of a 2025 ACCC Innovator Award. WellSpan Cancer Institute’s innovation, Adopting Machine Learning-Enabled Decision Support to Improve Oncology End-of-Life Outcomes, involved the implementation of the End-of-Life Care Index, a machine learning and cognitive computing model that predicts 12-month mortality risk, into the cancer program’s clinical decision support tool. Driven by a desire to address the underutilization of palliative care, Munchel will discuss how this implementation enhanced both the efficiency and effectiveness of WellSpan Cancer Institute’s care delivery.

Guests:

Andrew Munchel, MSN, RN, OCN, CPHQ

Quality Program Administrator, Oncology Service Line

WellSpan Health, WellSpan Cancer Institute

York, Pennsylvania

“Our innovation looked at how [we could] better predict who is most likely to benefit from [palliative care] conversations, queue them up, and have them at the appropriate times to link those patients to palliative care.”

This podcast is part of a special series featuring the 2025 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this topic and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference, October 15-17 in Denver, Colorado.

Resources:

Spirituality and Cultural Humility: Core Components of Comprehensive Palliative Care

Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care

Building a Palliative Care Program from the Inside Out

Early Palliative Care Program Proactively Meets Patient Needs