A number of excellent strategic planning tools have been published by consultancies and academia, but we have found that they often lack the necessary specificity for oncology and, more importantly, do not fully address the all-important question for healthcare organizations—how do we plan for an uncertain, value-based future? Read more here.
Cancer has become a disease characterized by its data. Insurance companies demand cost and utilization data, searching for a meaningful way to optimize value. Patients request test results, lab values, and physician notes, seeking to become shared decision-makers in their care. Researchers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and others seek clinical data in an effort to further our biological understanding of the disease…
Patient navigation programs have achieved more traction over the last several years, including the release of the 2013 ONS Nurse Navigator Core Competencies and the 2012 Commission on Cancer (CoC) Standard 3.1, Patient Navigation Process. While these guidelines and standards have provided cancer programs with additional justification to support the navigator role, it is incredibly important for managers and administrators…
Oncology defies the norm for most hospital business – existing primarily in the outpatient setting, spanning multiple departments – and requires high capital investment, including spending for a range of supportive care services critical for its population. Many hospitals also find it challenging to clearly track the flow of oncology funds across multiple departments and disciplines. Yet for successful program growth, it is important that…
The shift toward value-based care is swiftly realigning compensation for providers, placing a renewed emphasis on higher quality services at lower costs. At the same time, the industry is seeing trilateral movement from hospital-created health exchanges, employers and insurers toward narrower networks in order to maximize reimbursements and reduce costs.1 As these dynamics continue to evolve, hospitals and oncologists cannot rely…
Value is something the consumer expects in the marketplace, where demanding a high quality product at a low cost is common practice. However, healthcare has historically not been held to a similar standard as other industries when delivering on this demand. Driven by recent pay-for-performance efforts, the need for this “norm” to change has the attention of patients, providers and…
Are you ready for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) new payment and delivery model, the Oncology Care Model (OCM)? Oncology Solutions is currently assisting clients with: Conducting an OCM readiness assessment for the practice/program; Assisting with “future state” practice/program planning in alignment with the OCM requirements; Conducting physician and staff education sessions; Developing an OCM implementation plan…
