Toward Better Cancer Care at Lower Cost

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center to participate in its Oncology Care Model (OCM) program, which aims to transform cancer care by improving quality and efficiency.

The OCM program’s goals are to provide higher-quality, more coordinated oncology care at the same or lower cost to Medicare, using performance-based payment incentives.

“The OCM encourages greater collaboration and information-sharing so that cancer patients get the care they need,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “This patient-centered care model furthers the goal of the Vice President’s Cancer Moonshot to improve coordination, care and outcomes while spending dollars more wisely.”

The nearly 200 oncology practices participating in the five-year OCM will provide treatment that follows nationally recognized clinical guidelines for chemotherapy, with an emphasis on patient-centered care and evidence-based, shared medical decision-making. They will provide enhanced services to help patients receive timely, coordinated treatment. Many of these practice philosophies are already embedded in the care provided by Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center.

These enhanced services may include:

• Coordinating appointments with providers to ensure timely delivery of diagnostic and treatment services
• Providing 24/7 access to care when needed
• Arranging for diagnostic scans and follow-up consultations with other members of the medical team, such as surgeons, radiation oncologists and other specialists
• Ensuring that imaging data and test results are available in advance of patient appointments
• Providing access to additional patient resources, such as support groups, pain management services and clinical trials.

In June 2016, nearly 50 Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center professionals from various disciplines gathered to talk about the OCM. “There was a lot of discussion around opportunities to improve the care we provide, as well as how to deliver cost-efficient care emphasizing the multidisciplinary approach,” says Clinical Social Work Supervisor Christa Poole, MSSA, LISW-S.

The OCM aligns with Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center’s overall strategic direction and ongoing efforts to transform and improve cancer care.