For the first time in its history, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is holding a symposium on quality in cancer care to explore such issues as reducing unnecessary testing, improving communication between patients and physicians, and using technology to improve care.
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| Peter Ellis, M.D. |
Peter Ellis, M.D., director of the
medical oncology network at UPMC CancerCenter, will be giving an oral
presentation, one of more than 300
abstracts at ASCO’s Quality Care Symposium in San Diego starting
tomorrow.
“Our focus is always on providing the best care for our patients, and
we are continually looking at quality issues to ensure we are doing just
that,” Dr. Ellis said.
He will be presenting about how Via OncologyPathways is used at UPMC. The program was developed at UPMC CancerCenter in
2005 and helps oncologists to determine the best course of treatment for each
patient, depending on the type and stage of cancer. The computerized tool was
developed to ensure consistency in care,
and the pathways are continuously updated by physicians to reflect
the latest research. More than 120 oncologists at UPMC use Via Oncology Pathways.
“When appropriately developed and implemented,
clinical pathways are a solution to improving the quality and cost
effectiveness of cancer care by enhancing physician decision-making,
standardizing care and ensuring access to evidence-based, personalized medicine,”
Dr. Ellis said. “We continue to expand the scope of our pathways to include
diagnostic studies, surveillance protocols and end-of-life prompts.”