Rapid advances in cancer research, new technological innovations, the expanding clinical evidence base, and changing demographics are all transforming the landscape of cancer care. As the US population ages, more people are being diagnosed with cancer, but the mortality rate is declining and thus the population of long-term cancer survivors is growing. Advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, including the growth in precision oncology therapies, have improved outcomes for patients with cancer, but have also increased the complexity of cancer care. Reflecting this complexity, the delivery of high-quality care is dependent on effective teamwork, transparency, and collaboration among health care professionals, patients, and their families.
Given these trends, there is a need to ensure the availability of an effective and well-coordinated oncology careforce that can provide high-quality care to people diagnosed with cancer. The oncology careforce includes the spectrum of health care professionals taking care of patients with cancer (e.g., physicians, nurses, and other clinicians), as well as home care workers, volunteers, and family caregivers.
This National Cancer Policy Forum workshop provided a venue for the cancer community to examine the impact of evolving trends in cancer incidence and care on the oncology careforce. A primary goal of the workshop was to consider opportunities to enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care by improving the development and support of the oncology careforce. The workshop featured invited presentations and panel discussions on topics such as:
- Factors in the oncology care setting that contribute to inefficiencies, clinician burnout, and reduced quality of care, as well as potential systems interventions to address these issues.
- Approaches to stratify and optimize care across the cancer care continuum.
- The impact of new payment models.
- Strategies to improve the recruitment, training, mentorship, and retention of oncology care professionals.
- Approaches to enhance cancer care competencies across the spectrum of non-oncology care providers, from physicians and advanced practice nurses to family caregivers.
- Opportunities for collaboration and information-sharing among health care providers and across clinical specialties to identify best practices for careforce coordination and utilization.
The National Cancer Policy Forum collaborated with the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education to conduct this workshop.
For recordings of this workshop, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGTMA6QkejfjKZxL1gXJgy6erbEFhMV7I
Planning Committee Members
Lisa Kennedy Sheldon (co-chair), Oncology Nursing Society
Lawrence Shulman (co-chair), University of Pennsylvania
Amy Abernethy, Flatiron Health
Edward Benz, Jr., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School
Robert Carlson, National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Clese Erikson, The George Washington University
Stanton Gerson, Association of American Cancer Institutes
Lori Hoffman Hogg, Department of Veterans Affairs
Ruth Nemire, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Randall A. Oyer, Lancaster General Penn Medicine
David Siegel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Virginia Valentin, University of Utah School of Medicine
Robert Winn, University of Illinois at Chicago
Speakers, Moderators, and Panelists
Anthony Back, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Edward Benz, Jr., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Otis Brawley, Johns Hopkins University
Suanna Steeby Bruinooge, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Howard "Skip" Burris, Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Cynthia Cantril, Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
Robert Carlson, National Comprehensive Cancer Network
John Cox, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Susan Dentzer, Duke University
Hildy Dillon, Cancer Support Community
Lori Hoffman Hogg, Department of Veterans Affairs
Mark Hyde, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Linda Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center
Ronald Kline, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Mia Levy, Rush University Cancer Center
Jill Lowery, US Department of Veterans Affairs and Duke University
Hugh Ma, RobinCare
Kathi Mooney, University of Utah
Ruth Nemire, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Brenda Nevidjon, Oncology Nursing Society
Randall Oyer, Lancaster General Health
Harold Paz, Aetna
Diane Portman, Moffitt Cancer Center
Eben Rosenthal, Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center
Kathleen Schmeler, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mary Jackson Scroggins, Pinkie Hugs, LLC
Mary Sesto, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Lisa Kennedy Sheldon, Oncology Nursing Society
Scott Shipman, Association of American Medical Colleges
Lawrence Shulman, University of Pennsylvania
Samuel Takvorian, University of Pennsylvania
Courtney Harold Van Houtven, Duke University and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs