Many cancer programs continue to face challenges in maintaining access to care given ongoing capacity and resource constraints. This issue will be exacerbated in the future, as projections indicate an additional 11 million patients will be seeking cancer services by 2040 due to the “Silver Tsunami.”
By focusing on core operational imperatives, cancer programs can deliver advanced care and expand access while maintaining a focus on the patient experience. As cancer programs look to the next decade, administrative and clinical leaders will need to implement novel approaches to increase patient access, improve operational efficiency, and ensure equity for all patients.
Across a series of four blog posts, we’re taking a deeper look into each of the pillars foundational to creating a differentiated patient experience, a core element of the cancer program of the future. Part two, which you can find here, explored the importance of establishing a strong patient navigation program. In part three, we highlight the various digital health tools organizations are incorporating to support the patient care journey.
Problem
Patients’ expectations for seamless and timely access to care are driving providers to reevaluate their digital health capabilities to be as patient-centric as possible. To achieve this goal, organizations must thoughtfully evolve their use of digital healthcare tools while understanding that digital transformation is not about simply adopting the latest technology. Cancer programs must carefully consider how they can best utilize digital health solutions to drive improvements in patient access, patient experience, care coordination, and program differentiation.
Solution
It is crucial to establish a foundation of digital health tools before venturing into more innovative technological capabilities. All cancer programs should have the following patient-centric elements in place today:
- Integrated Telehealth: Synchronous video visits integrated into the EHR
- Patient Portal Access: Full patient access to the EHR (including upload and download capabilities)
- Patient Communication: Multiple access points (e.g., phone, patient portal) and personalized survivorship communication
- Triage Services: On-demand digital nurse triage capabilities via multiple access points
With these capabilities in place, cancer programs can explore more pioneering digital health solutions aimed at enhancing the patient experience and allowing providers and clinic staff to attend to a larger patient population more efficiently.
One crucial digital health application that drives improved patient experiences and reduces the need for unnecessary clinic visits is remote monitoring. These advanced digital tools enable the gathering and reporting of patient data (e.g., vitals, symptoms) to the care team and facilitate better symptom management, reduce travel burdens, minimize emergency visits, and improve cancer survival rates.
Although implementing remote monitoring necessitates changes in staff skills, systems, and workflows, introducing this capability in the short term will help patients adapt to these tools and position cancer programs to transition to more advanced solutions (including AI-assisted products) as technologies evolve and gain industry approval.
- Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePROs): ePROs utilize tools such as smartphones and web-based platforms to collect patient-reported data on vital signs, symptoms, and quality of life. These tools have been shown to improve patient outcomes, satisfaction, and compliance with clinical therapies.
- Remote Monitoring: Remote monitoring involves the use of technology to track a patient’s health status through the real-time collection and transmission of data. This process facilitates more timely interventions, thereby lessening the need for frequent in-person visits and promoting better patient outcomes.
- AI-Assisted ePROs and Remote Monitoring: Further into the future, remote monitoring technologies will incorporate AI algorithms to assist providers in making timelier and more data-driven decisions. Examples of AI-assisted technologies already being tested include:
- CANKADO PRO-React: A patient-generated digital health documentation system that predicts impending adverse incidents and recommends how urgently patients should seek medical care
- BioIntelliSense: A rechargeable chest sensor that passively measures more than 20 vital signs and notifies the healthcare team when results fall outside personalized ranges
As the demand for high-quality, patient-centric cancer care continues to increase over the next decade, cancer programs must focus on strengthening the four pillars of a differentiated patient experience to continue meeting the needs of their diverse communities, maintain competitive success, and realize programmatic volume growth. In the final installment, we will unpack the reasons why organizations must focus on improving health equity to better serve their communities and drive growth to their cancer programs.
For more information, download our whitepaper, Pioneering a Cancer Program for the Future.
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Edited by: Emily Johnson
