NCCN Collaborates With Pfizer on Program Focused on Health Care Quality Improvement and Education
The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) is collaborating with Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGLC) to establish a peer-reviewed grant program to elicit proposals focused on health care quality improvement and education projects. As part of this program, the NCCN ORP and Pfizer will jointly issue a request for proposals (RFP), focused on the development and adoption of evidence-based initiatives to improve patient care and outcomes in renal cell carcinoma and hematologic malignancies.
The intent of the RFP is to encourage academic and community-based organizations to submit proposals describing concepts and ideas for design and implementation of systems or programs that close clinical practice gaps and improve the care of patients with rare cancer types through the establishment of education and support mechanisms for community oncologists. It is expected that grants will fund approximately 9 projects.
“NCCN is pleased to collaborate with Pfizer in this effort,” said Joan S. McClure, MS, Senior Vice President, Clinical Information and Publications, NCCN. “Together, we will identify and fund projects that interweave patient support and information, health care systems issues, and broadening of clinician knowledge base to improve the quality of care for individuals with rare cancers.”
The NCCN ORP and Pfizer will announce an RFP seeking concepts for initiatives focusing on the following areas where there are gaps in care:
Health care provider education and incorporation of education into practice
Provider/patient communications and treatment decision-making
Increasing the use of evidence-based recommendations for management of renal cell carcinoma or hematologic malignancies
Information related to patient assistance programs and other patient-centered resources
Organizations may submit for 1 of 2 categories: renal cell carcinoma or hematologic malignancies, which will include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
For the first time in its history, the NCCN ORP will draw upon the expertise of investigators not only from the 23 NCCN Member Institutions, but from all cancer centers across the United States, including both academic and community settings.
The NCCN ORP, organized to obtain funding to support scientifically meritorious research studies at NCCN Member Institutions, will be the lead organization for review and evaluation of applications. A review committee, led by NCCN and including a medical representative from Pfizer, will make decisions on which proposals will receive funding. Grant funding will be provided by Pfizer IGLC.
New Translations of NCCN Guidelines Content Available
NCCN recently posted a new translation of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Melanoma in Turkish. This translation is a direct result of NCCN’s inaugural International Day held during the NCCN 18th Annual Conference: Advancing the Standard of Cancer Care on March 17, 2013. Physicians from Turkey came to Hollywood, Florida to meet with NCCN Guidelines Panel members and staff to discuss the consideration of Turkish adaptations and/or translation of the NCCN Guidelines for Melanoma necessary to allow for effective local utilization of the NCCN Guidelines.
Translations were also recently posted of the Distress Thermometer Screening Tool from the NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management in Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
Translations of select NCCN Guidelines and related content are now available in Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, and Turkish. To access these resources, please visit NCCN.org.
If you would like to learn more about translations, regional adaptations of the NCCN Guidelines, or other international programming opportunities, please contact Jonathan Larsen, MPP, Manager, Global Business Development, Larsen@nccn.org.
NCCN, McKesson Specialty Health, and The US Oncology Network Announce Plans for Integration with Elekta and Varian
NCCN, The US Oncology Network, and McKesson Specialty Health are pleased to announce agreements to provide future integration with Elekta and Varian that will enhance the ability to provide patients with cancer with evidence-based quality care. Through integrating with 2 leading oncology information systems—Elekta’s MOSAIQ and Varian’s Aria—the power of Clear Value Plus will be improved for practices using those platforms.
Value Pathways Powered by NCCN, which are incorporated into the Clear Value Plus software, will expand next year to include radiation oncology. These clinical practice guidelines are jointly developed by McKesson Specialty Health, The US Oncology Network, and NCCN to consider efficacy and cost when evaluating treatment options in radiation oncology, building upon the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) and The US Oncology Network‘s Level I Pathways.
Integration Agreements to Help Physicians Evaluate Evidence-Based Options With Several Electronic Health Records
Clear Value Plus, a first-of-its-kind clinical quality and regimen support system, allows physicians to access transparent, evidence-based clinical content at the point of care. It is fully embedded into McKesson Specialty Health’s iKnowMed Generation 2SM electronic health record and will be integrated with MOSAIQ and Aria. The agreements to integrate the Elekta and Varian oncology information systems with the Clear Value Plus platform in an open, standards-based integration of technology will provide physicians with access to quality support and reporting solutions, and Value Pathways treatment options. Through Value Pathways, physicians can gain access to national best practices for optimal patient care and value-based outcomes that are grounded in clinical evidence and the NCCN Guidelines.
Value Pathways Powered by NCCN to Include Radiation Oncology
The expansion of Value Pathways to include radiation oncology pathways makes these agreements to integrate with Elekta and Varian especially timely. The new radiation oncology pathways will bring the same level of clinical rigor and value awareness that is delivered through the medical oncology Value Pathways content library. Given the increasing complexity of cancer care and number of radiation treatment options, radiation oncology pathways can be integral in keeping oncologists informed of new developments that may contribute to optimal outcomes.
“As we seek to comprehensively address clinical quality, the addition of radiation oncology pathways is a clear extension of our collaboration,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “Patient outcomes hinge on the availability of consistent, evidence-based guidance. We see radiation oncology pathways as a needed extension of our NCCN Guidelines, which are widely accepted among providers and payers alike.”
NCCN, The US Oncology Network, and McKesson Specialty Health are committed to advancing quality, value-based cancer care through ongoing collaborative endeavors with all stakeholders in the cancer community. “Working with NCCN allows us to further enhance the delivery of high-quality cancer care,” noted Marcus Neubauer, MD, Medical Director, Oncology Services, McKesson Specialty Health. “We are pleased other information system providers recognize the value of NCCN Guidelines and have matched our commitment to support oncologists by including evidence-based content.”
