Rising healthcare costs and the overall shift toward a value-based healthcare delivery system have led to the rapid proliferation of clinical pathways in oncology. Today, an estimated 60 individual health insurance plans in the United States are implementing oncology pathways, and more than 170 million individuals covered by those plans are potentially being treated under a plan-sponsored pathway—many of whom are in active treatment for cancer.
High-quality oncology clinical pathways are detailed, evidence-based treatment protocols for delivering cancer care to patients with specific disease types and stages. When properly designed and implemented, oncology pathways can serve as an important tool in improving care quality and reducing costs.
For several years, beginning with establishing its Task Force on Clinical Pathways, ASCO has been examining pathways in oncology and has developed robust criteria for the development and implementation of pathway programs. ASCO used this criteria in its assessment of clinical pathway vendors which was published in the Journal of Oncology Practice.
- Oncology Clinical Pathways: Charting the Landscape of Pathway Providers
- ASCO Criteria for High-Quality Clinical Pathways in Oncology
- ASCO Policy Statement on Clinical Pathways in Oncology
ASCO Clinical Pathways Resources
- Checklist: Evaluating Oncology Clinical Pathways Programs
- Oncology Clinical Pathways in the News:
- "Network Enlists Practicing Oncologists to Develop Plans" - OncLive (February 2018)
- "Robin Zon: The Next Big Developments in Clinical Pathways" - Journal of Clinical Pathways (September 2017)
- "The Path Forward for Clinical Pathways in Oncology" - The ASCO Post (March 2017)
- "Keynote Presentation - Precision Medicine: An Essential Component of Oncology Clinical Pathways" - Journal of Clinical Pathways (September 2016)
- "ASCO Policy Statement on Clinical Pathways in Oncology: Why Now?" - American Journal of Managed Care (April 2016)
Please contact the Cancer Policy team with any questions or feedback.