Closing Out 2024: Advancing Value-Based Oncology Through Innovation and Equity

Welcome to the final issue of 2024! This year has been pivotal for value-based oncol­ogy care, bringing significant technological advancements, personalized medicine, and care coordination. In this issue, our Perspectives article (page 26) by Patel et al exam­ines strategies to reduce artificial intelligence (AI)-driven bias, ensuring that these emerging tools enhance equitable patient outcomes. In our Case Study article (page 31), Reidel et al introduce a new treatment timeline dashboard designed to streamline care for patients with head and neck cancer, illustrating the real-world benefits of innovative care management. Finally, Simmons et al in our From the Field article (page 42), delve into the cost-effective­ness of integrating personalized medicine into decision support pathways, underscoring the value of tailoring treatments to individual patient needs. We hope these insights will inspire continued progress in delivering efficient, personalized oncology care.

This year has also been a year for reevaluating current systems and processes to enhance what is already in place. Our Transformative Employer Trends column (page 51) reviews the impacts of the controversial 340B program. The 340B program has been the focus for many years, citing rampant abuses and claims the 340B program allowed organizations to increase profitability. To that end, Vogenberg examines the impact and ramifications of 340B in the commercial employer market.

AI is garnering a lot of attention throughout the health care industry. Industry experts suggest that AI should amplify and augment, rather than replace, human intelligence. In our article by Patel et al, the authors provide a clear sense of what AI is and how it can assist oncologists with decision-making at the point of care, which is essential for maximizing the utility of present-day technology while laying the groundwork for the incredible possibili­ties of the future. The authors emphasize that addressing bias is crucial to ensuring that AI tools do not exacerbate existing inequalities but contribute to fair quality assessment and high-quality outcomes.

At this year’s Clinical Pathways Congress + Cancer Care Business Exchange (CPC+CBEx) meeting, an article published in the Journal of Clinical Pathways Volume 10, Issue 5, by Holmes et al demonstrated the importance of rapid access to high-quality health care in oncology care and its impact on clinical outcomes. In our Case Study article, Riedel et al describe a similar project for patients with head and neck cancer. Their primary objective was to develop a timeliness dashboard using a primary nursing care coordination model to track metrics selected for care efficiency. The secondary objective was to assess if a multidis­ciplinary clinic with enhanced care coordination improved timeliness, highlighting the role of nursing coordination in a high-volume cancer clinic.

Finally, with much discussion surrounding the place of precision medicine in decision support pathways, the tide is turning in favor of incorporating precision medicine support. In our From the Field article, Simmons et al support the incorporation of precision medi­cine in first-line maintenance therapy selection in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Findings suggest that using a biomarker-guided approach based on homologous recombi­nation deficiency test results to prescribe first-line advanced ovarian cancer maintenance therapy may reduce the overall cost of care and improve clinical and economic outcomes.

This concludes a dynamic 2024, and we hope to carry this momentum into the new year. Wishing you a safe holiday season and all the best for 2025. As always, the Journal of Clinical Pathways welcomes your submissions and research contributions in the coming year.