National Health Alliance Panel: Centering Patient Needs in Value-Based Oncology

Considering patient needs in oncology care means thinking beyond just health outcomes, according to a panel of oncology experts speaking at the 2022 National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions Leadership Summit. Clinicians should ask patients what matters to them, according to Alan Balch, PhD, CEO of the Patient Advocate Foundation, as this will help inform patient care and guidance.

According to Julia Bonavitacola, “Balch said that many of the patients his organization encounters are also just as interested in the financial impact that their medical care will have on them as the clinical outcome itself. The patients in this group are important to engage to make sure they get the care and outcomes they need and are entitled to. He emphasized providing benefit education to help these populations understand the areas where they can get support, whether through paid time off, sick leave, or disability benefits. He emphasized that patients with cancer in particular need to know these benefits so they don’t fall behind on their care out of the gate.”

To read more about what the other panelists said, click here.

(Source: AJMC, July 3rd, 2022)