New accreditation standards for hospital cancer programs were announced by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 31, 2011, and a patient-centered approach is the focus.
“The changing landscape of cancer patient care motivated us to develop new standards to directly address patient concerns,” said Stephen Edge, MD, FACS, Chair of the Commission on Cancer.
The new CoC standards were created to ensure that significant aspects of quality cancer care are provided to all cancer patients at CoC-accredited facilities. In addition, psychosocial support, care for cancer-related pain, palliative care, and hospice care are also included in the standards.
The development of the new patient-centered standards was a collaborative effort among the CoC and the following four national cancer patient support organizations: the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Support Community, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, and LIVESTRONG. Input on how patient-centered standards could be implemented into the framework of CoC-accredited cancer programs was also contributed by these groups.
Included in the standards are three fundamental areas of patient-centered treatment:
- A patient navigation process for assisting with the complex system of oncology care
- A screen of each patient for psychosocial distress
- A survivorship care plan for documenting care received and improving cancer survivors’ quality of life
The complex system of oncology care can be demanding for many cancer patients and their families. Therefore, a coordination of care among medical providers including: physicians (ranging from primary care doctors to oncology specialists), nurses, social workers, geneticists, nutritionists, and others is essential, according to the CoC standards.
Today, early cancer screenings and improved treatments are allowing for more cancer survivors. As a result, a cancer survivorship standard was developed to address ongoing care and quality-of-life concerns for the growing number of cancer survivors.
“The 2012 CoC standards challenge cancer programs to enhance the care they provide by addressing patient-centered needs and measuring the quality of the care they deliver against national standards. Both areas are critical components of quality cancer care,” explained Daniel P. McKellar, MD, FACS, who chairs the CoC’s Accreditation Committee.
Source: American College of Surgeons