FRIDAY, Nov. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Attributes that distinguish high-value oncology practices have been identified, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in JAMA Oncology.
Douglas W. Blayney, M.D., from Stanford Cancer Institute in California, and colleagues identified oncology practices with low mean insurer-allowed spending to quantify value. Practices with high quality were selected, and a team conducted site visits to interview practice personnel and probe for attributes of high-value care. Attributes occurring uniquely or frequently in low-spending practices were reviewed for their contribution to value improvement and ease of implementation.
The researchers identified 13 attributes within five themes from the seven practices studied. The themes were: treatment planning and goal setting, services supporting the patient journey, technical support and physical layout, organization and function of the care team, and external context. High-value practice sites were most sharply distinguished by five attributes: conservative use of imaging, early discussion of limitations and consequences of treatment, single point of contact, maximal use of registered nurses for interventions, and a multicomponent health care system. Three attributes -- early and normalized palliative care, ambulatory rapid response, and early discussion of limitations and consequences of treatment -- were judged to have the highest immediate potential for reducing spending without compromising care quality.
"Oncology practice attributes warranting further testing were identified that may lower total spending for high-quality oncology care," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to Guardant Health Inc.
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