About the Alliance
Vision
To ensure psychosocial care is integrated into the medical standard of care for people with cancerPurpose
- To convene key stakeholders committed to implementing the recommendations of the IOM report “Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs.”
- To inform and educate key audiences that quality psychosocial care is critical to optimal clinical outcomes for people affected by cancer
- To advocate policies to ensure that all patients are screened and have access to quality psychosocial care
- To advance translational research and standards of care in psychosocial oncology
Alliance for Quality Psychosocial Cancer Care Members
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In October 2007 the IOM released a report, Cancer Care for the Whole Patient, that included ten recommendations mandating changes in the delivery of quality cancer care to include psychosocial services.1 The report was prepared by a 16 member panel with expertise in oncology, health care delivery, workforce education and training, psychology, psychiatry, primary care, nursing, health services research, patient-provider communication, chronic illness care, social work, managed care, and gerontology. Based on an extensive review, the panel concluded that there is enough evidence to support a standard of care for the delivery of psychosocial health services in cancer care. The standard of care states that all cancer care should ensure the provision of appropriate psychosocial health services by (a) facilitating effective communication between patients and care providers; (b) identifying each patient's psychosocial needs; (c) designing and implementing a plan that links the patient with needed psychosocial services, coordinates biomedical and psychosocial care, and engages and supports patients in managing their illness and health; and (d) systematically following up on, re-evaluating and adjusting this plan.
Creating the Alliance for Quality Psychosocial Cancer Care: Implementation of the IOM Report Cancer Care for the Whole Patient
The Alliance was formed in the late fall of 2008 as an informal coalition of professional and advocacy organizations engaged in psychosocial cancer care issues. The primary goal of the Alliance is to implement recommendations from the IOM report. A Steering Committee comprised of founding members of the Alliance was formed to develop the structure and governance, and provide oversight for Alliance activities. Steering Committee members include the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Center for Advancing Health, CancerCare, The Wellness Community, Association of Oncology Social Workers, Oncology Nursing Society, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.Alliance Objectives:
Specifically the Alliance intends to focus on several key recommendations from the report:
Immediate Action Steps:
- Development of a Standard of psychosocial care which includes provisions for screening, referral, ongoing monitoring and accountability.
- Plans for assuring that the Standard is incorporated in appropriate accreditation activities
- Development of a public policy plan whereby the recommendations from the report are included in relevant public health policy initiatives. This might include incorporation in legislation which defines and/or authorizes other aspects of quality cancer care or the development of a demonstration project at CMS
- Development of educational materials for a variety of audiences. These might include training materials, info for patients and family members or may be helpful in persuading providers, insurers or others to offer psychosocial services, consistent with the Standard of care.
- Development and compilation of existing psychosocial resources and determining a mechanism to disseminate that information to patients and providers
- Development of a patient advocacy strategy which builds on the recommendation that patients should expect to receive appropriate psychosocial services and coordinated care
- Working with providers in the community and private insurers to develop demonstration projects which can implement the model and address reimbursement and access issues in a "real world" setting
- Development of a research strategy; develop a working group on nomenclature
- Standard of Care
- Policy and Advocacy
- Education and Awareness
- Research & Demonstration Projects
- Childhood Cancer
Endorsements
- Letter to the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Clinical Management Workgroup endorsing the new proposed standards
The Alliance for Quality Psychosocial Cancer Care was pleased to learn about and endorse the proposed Standard 6.1 that would require that: The cancer committee, or other appropriate leadership body, develops a process to monitor screening of cancer patients for psychosocial distress. Findings of the monitoring are presented at least annually to the cancer committee, or other appropriate leadership body, and are documented in minutes.
Alliance member organizations are listed. We encourage you to revisit this page as more information about Alliance efforts is posted. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Julie Taylor at jtaylor@thewellnesscommunity.org.
1 Institute of Medicine. 2008. Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs. Washington, DC. National Academies Press. www.nap.edu.
