The US Oncology Network Affiliated Investigators Participate in Programs Featured at the 2012 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

THE WOODLANDS, Texas --(Business Wire)--

Clinicians and practice representatives affiliated with The US Oncology Network submitted abstracts related to eleven quality programs that will be presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium held Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 at the Manchester Hyatt in San Diego, Calif. Of those programs, one will be presented as an oral presentation. This overwhelming presence at the Quality Care Symposium is a reflection of the commitment by The US Oncology Network to quality enhancement programs and their implementation across the community oncology practices in The Network.

On behalf of The US Oncology Network Clinical Content Team and Pathways Task Force, Janet Espirito, Pharm.D., will be presenting an oral presentation titled, "A quality improvement program to increase performance with clinical oncology pathways." The program assessed the impact of a quality assurance initiative called the Practice Pathways Improvement program to increase adherence to The US Oncology Network physician-developed Level I Pathways.

"During this program, we were able to provide education and increase awareness of the important elements needed to increase pathways adherence," said Espirito. "Results related to the program and pathways will be presented at the conference."

"Pathways are a critical component in the future of cancer care," said Debra Patt, M.D., M.P.H., medical oncologist and hematologist with Texas Oncology and medical director of the Pathways Task Force for The US Oncology Network. "It is important that we figure out how best to implement evidence and quality-based initiatives and understand how to most effectively encourage and monitor adherence."

Linda Bosserman, M.D., F.A.C.P., president of Wilshire Oncology, will be featured in a general session about models of quality that work in the community, including the medical oncology home pilot that she and her group have piloted. Additionally, J. Russell Hoverman, M.D., Ph.D., VP of Quality Programs for Texas Oncology and medical director of Managed Care for The US Oncology Network, will address utilization of clinical decision support tools in enhancing quality care in oncology and supporting communication tools.

Some of the work featured at the meeting highlights clinical decision support tools at point of service, collaboration of oncology care through virtual web-based portals, advance care planning program implementation, survivorship program implementation, pathways programs and systematic evaluation, compliance and reporting. A full list of The Network affiliated programs on display at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium is below. For more information or to interview an investigator, contact The US Oncology Network Public Relations Manager, Claire Crye at 281-863-6783.

Oral Presentations:

1. A quality improvement program to increase performance with clinical oncology pathways
JL Espirito, A Ginsburg Arlen, JS Garey, S Sheth, B Turnwald, M Clayton, J Flinn, C Butler-Dorian, G Nelson, JR Hoverman, D Patt, TH Cartwright, LT Busby, R Beveridge, M Neubauer

Posters:

1. Integration of survivorship care in community oncology practice
M O'Brien, K Ness, A Ginsburg Arlen, R Schwartz, J Foster, M Sborov

2. Impact of a cancer management program
JR Hoverman, I Klein, D Harrison, J Hayes, GC Nelson, JS Garey, J Stratton, M Sipala, S Houldin, J Ciaglo, C Taniguchi, M Jameson, M Abdullahpour, J McQueen, DK Verrilli, R Beveridge

3. The value of a quality metric
JR Hoverman, JR Schwartz

4. Clinical decision support to improve quality and practice efficiency across a large network of oncology practices
DA Patt, M Nubie, DR Kazzaz, A Ginsburg Arlen, MA Sitarik, A Ahmad, LT Busby, R Beveridge

5. Utilizing network quality committees to improve reporting and adherence to evidence-based clinical pathways
DA Patt, JR Hoverman, G Lindsey, D Jastrzembski, C Taniguchi, B Turnwald, JL Espirito, JS Garey, on behalf of the Texas Oncology Quality Committees

6. My choices, my wishes: Advance care planning advocacy in the adult oncology population
S Mikan, JR Hoverman, DA Patt, B Turnwald

7. Utilization of a virtual collaboration portal to improve communication, education, and quality of care across a network of practices
J Trageser, A Ahmad, M Rush, HK Kahng, R Schwartz, A Ginsburg Arlen, R Beveridge, DA Patt

8. Development of a quality infrastructure for a 135-site statewide network of community oncologists
G Lindsey, JR Hoverman

9. A care delivery staffing model for a community oncology practice
D Fryefield, W Herman, L Bradshaw-Hucko, R Kafora, C Tribble, T Jensen, T Chentnik, J Garey, R Beveridge, The US Oncology Network Clinical Advisory Council

10. The Pink Ribbon Survivors Network: An internet resource for breast cancer survivorship education for patients and the health care providers that care for them
RE Fisher, KA Adams

About The US Oncology Network

The US Oncology Network is one of the nation's largest networks of community-based oncology physicians dedicated to advancing cancer care in America. Like-minded physicians are united through The Network around a common vision of expanding patient access to high-quality, integrated cancer care in communities throughout the nation. Leveraging healthcare information technology, shared best practices, refined evidence-based medicine guidelines, and quality measurements, physicians affiliated with The US Oncology Network are committed to advancing the quality, safety, and science of cancer care to improve patient outcomes. The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health, a division of McKesson Corporation focused on empowering a vibrant and sustainable community patient care delivery system to advance the science, technology and quality of care. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com.