UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, launched its Oncology Care Analysis (OCA) program. This patient-focused, integrated program uses a first-of-its-kind database that combines clinical and claims data to gauge the quality of cancer patient care based on approved treatment guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 21 leading cancer centers.
“This latest collaborative effort reflects the continuing commitment of UnitedHeathcare and the NCCN to ensure physicians and patients have access to quality, evidence-based cancer care.”
UnitedHealthcare’s cancer registry includes clinical and claims data from more than 2,600 oncologists and 8,600 patients across the country with breast, colon or lung cancer. The powerful combination of cancer stage data and claims information creates a coordinated electronic medical record of a patient’s care and then compares that treatment regimen to existing NCCN Guidelines. Results are being shared with participating oncologists, in compliance with applicable privacy laws, to help improve the quality of cancer care and lead to better outcomes for patients.
UnitedHealthcare’s OCA program incorporates the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™, a widely accepted source of guidelines for cancer care in the United States, and the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium™, which is based on the NCCN Guidelines and contains scientifically derived information designed to support decision-making about appropriate use of drugs and biologics for cancer patients.
The OCA electronic medical record delivers coordinated patient information to the treating physicians that they may not have in their existing medical records, such as patient compliance with medications. For example, physicians may not be aware if their patients are not filling prescriptions for essential cancer medications. The record also contains important information about procedures performed by other specialists, including radiation oncologists and surgeons.
“Treatment of cancer varies widely among doctors and hospitals in the United States. The Oncology Care Analysis program’s goal is to help improve quality and coordination of cancer patient care by providing oncologists with information and feedback relevant to the care they are providing to their patients,” said Lee N. Newcomer, M.D., UnitedHealthcare’s senior vice president, oncology. “Our collaboration with NCCN reflects UnitedHealthcare’s commitment to partner closely with the nation’s leading medical organizations in order to ensure the best care possible for patients.”
“We applaud UnitedHealthcare’s leadership in working with physicians to improve outcomes for cancer patients,” said William T. McGivney, Ph.D., NCCN chief executive officer. “This latest collaborative effort reflects the continuing commitment of UnitedHeathcare and the NCCN to ensure physicians and patients have access to quality, evidence-based cancer care.”
In November 2009, UnitedHealthcare initially shared OCA program patient data with 1,500 participating oncologists to help them better understand the strengths of their patient care along with areas for improvement. Each participating oncologist received aggregate national program results in addition to their individual results, along with relevant guideline data for each eligible patient under their care. UnitedHealthcare also shared aggregate national results with 12,000 additional oncologists within its health care provider network in an effort to introduce the tool and the cancer registry program.
Ingenix, UnitedHealth Group’s health information, technology and consulting company, worked in collaboration with UnitedHealthcare and the NCCN to develop the database.
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