ASCO and NCCN
Publish Quality Care Measures
On August 15th, the American Society of Clinical
Oncology (ASCO) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced
the joint publication of seven indicators of quality care for the treatment of
breast and colorectal cancer.
The "Quality Measures" initiative stems from an effort to
ensure that evidenced-based quality care is provided to patients throughout the
country more consistently. As such,
these measures were developed so that they could be used diversely by care
providers to self-assess their current treatment practices against those
established by this initiative, implement quality improvement programs as
needed, and evaluate the treatment standards of others as an external monitor.
According to ASCO and NCCN, the Quality Measures were built
upon the data developed for the National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality
(NICCQ), as well as recommendations from NCCN's breast cancer, colon cancer,
and rectal cancer guidelines.
Additionally, expert panels were convened to select a small number of
specific treatment measures for breast and colorectal cancers, developing the
initiative's Quality Measures so that they would be appropriate for national
implementation.
Specifically, the measures address aspects of care that can
be linked to crucial patient outcomes, such as survival. They were also designed to address areas
where inappropriate care can worsen patients' results and undermine the
management of breast and colorectal cancer. As a result, seven measures
were developed under this initiative, including three in breast cancer, two in
rectal cancer, one in colon cancer, and one in colorectal cancer. All together, the Quality Measures address:
- Hormonal
therapy for stage I, stage II, and stage III estrogen-receptor/
progesterone-receptor positive breast cancer
- Radiation
therapy for stage I, II, and III breast cancer patients who have undergone
breast-conserving surgery
- Adjuvant
chemotherapy for stage II and stage III estrogen-receptor/ progesterone-receptor
negative breast cancer
- Adjuvant
chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer
- Adjuvant
chemotherapy for stage II and III rectal cancer
- Radiation
therapy for stage II and III rectal cancer
- The
number of lymph nodes removed and examined for colon and rectal patients
who have undergone curative surgery
This initiative has been designed for use by hospitals and
health plans interested in evaluating the quality and effectiveness
of the cancer care they provide to their patients. However, the intent of
ASCO and NCCN is to have these quality indicators broadly and freely
disseminated for use across the cancer community, to maximize patient benefit. With this intent in mind, advocates may have
a unique opportunity to support the implementation of the Quality Measures
within their communities, helping to bring these treatment standards to
patients sooner.
For more information on the Quality Measures initiative and
to view the specifications of each measure, visit www.asco.org/qualitymeasures and
www.nccn.org.
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RECRUITING, EDUCATING
AND RETAINING NON-AFFILIATED IRB MEMBERS
Public
Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) is conducting a 90-minute
"webinar" entitled "Recruiting, Educating and Retaining
Non-Affiliated IRB Members" on Monday, September 18, 2006 from 2:30 - 4:00
pm Eastern Time. This web conference will discuss the critical role of
the non-affiliated member (aka the "community member") on the
institutional review board (IRB).
The Research
Advocacy Network trains cancer advocates to become members of their local
IRBs. RAN sees serving on IRBs as an important way to provide the patient
perspective to research and a great opportunity to better understand the
research and regulatory processes. This web conference will give
advocates information on the role and real life experiences of serving as
community members. The speakers will include two patient advocates who are
community members of their local IRBs, Gigi McMillian, Director of the We
Can Pediatric Brain Tumor Network and Mary Lou Smith, Co-founder of the
Research Advocacy Network. Because PRIM&R sees the importance of
involving advocates in the work of the IRBs, they are offering scholarships for
advocates to join this web conference. For more information, please visit
PRIM&R online at www.primr.org, email Nikelle Hamada at nhamada@primr.org,
or call 617.423.4112.
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Redes En Acción 6th Annual National Steering Committee Meeting
Redes En Acción recently conducted its 6th Annual National
Steering Committee Meeting, bringing together more than 75 representatives of
federal, academic and community organizations, institutions and foundations
across the country. Participants heard several speakers and panel presentations
- all with the common theme of collaboration to address Latino cancer disparity
issues. Elda Railey, one of the co-founders of Research Advocacy Network attended the meeting and serves on the External Advisory Board.
The
primary purpose of Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research
Network, is to create a national and regional infrastructure for collaboration
among grassroots leaders, local communities, researchers and public health
professionals to stimulate cancer control research, training and awareness.
Through network activities, Redes En Acción is establishing training and
research opportunities for Latino students and researchers, generating research
projects on key cancer issues impacting Latinos and supporting cancer awareness
activities. Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network
is a major Community Networks Program initiative supported by the National
Cancer Institute. For more information please go to their website at: www.redesenaccion.org.
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Research Advocacy Network
Activities
- Aug 2-3 - Redes En Accion Advisory Board
- Aug 2-3 - National Comprehensive Cancer Network
- Aug 7-8 - NCCTG Patient Summit
- Sept 7-8 - Clinical Trials Roundtable
- Oct 20-21 - Research Advocate Training, Komen St. Louis
- Nov 6-7 - Clinical Trials Summit
Click here for a full listing of Awareness
Months/Events
We need your help! Your Donation Makes a
Difference!
If you believe in the hope of research and the power of
advocacy, you can help the Research Advocacy Network by sending a
donation. RAN is an
exempt 501 c 3 organization and dependent on your support to keep
going. Our mailing address is: East Rand Rd, Suite 175, Arlington
Heights, IL
60004. Thanks!
Research Advocacy
Network Welcomes New Members!!!
Thanks to all of you who have recently
joined the Network. For those that have not yet please go to http://www.researchadvocacy.org/ and click on "Join". There are no dues for Network membership and
this
will assure that you receive all notices and have access to Network programs.
Editors and Authors: Elda Railey, Mary Lou Smith, Judy
Perotti
Special contributing author: Cheya Pope
Network News is currently published 10 times per year and includes articles
on advocacy,
research results and activities. Please share Network News with your friends with the link above. Research Advocacy Network is an Illinois
not-for-profit corporation and is designated as an
exempt 501 c 3 organization by the IRS. Your donations are greatly appreciated and tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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