Ensuring patient safety and access in cancer care (December 2017)

Summary

Patient safety is an integral component of high-quality and effective medical care. The stakes are especially high in oncology, where avoiding errors is imperative to delivering safe and effective radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other high-risk treatments. Changing paradigms in cancer treatment, including oral chemotherapy, personalised medicine, biosimilars, and immunotherapy, create evolving safety challenges for the oncology community. Moreover, shifting federal healthcare policies could have significant implications for the safety and access to high-quality and effective cancer care for millions of patients with cancer. Challenges and opportunities in ensuring patient access to safe, affordable, and high-quality cancer care remain significant within the policy landscape.

To explore current patient safety and access issues in oncology, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) convened the NCCN Policy Summit: Ensuring Safety and Access in Cancer Care in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2017. Oncology stakeholders gathered to discuss pertinent patient safety issues and access implications under the Trump administration, as well as policy and advocacy strategies to address these gaps and build on opportunities moving forward. The programme consisted of presentations and two roundtable discussions with vigorous dialogue and audience comments and questions.