ASCO’s vision is inherently global: “A world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy.” As part of this vision, ASCO continues to expand its Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®), QOPI® Certification Program and Quality Training Program to countries outside of the United States. ASCO’s successful collaboration with dedicated oncology professionals and organizations to produce high quality of care demonstrates the growing importance of quality improvement initiatives for cancer patients worldwide.

If you are located outside the United States and interested in participating in any of the below quality programs please complete our International Interest Survey and contact globalquality@asco.org.

Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®)

Also available in Spanish and Portuguese.

The Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) is an oncologist-led, practice-based quality assessment program designed to promote excellence in cancer care by helping practices create a culture of self-examination and improvement.

Countries where QOPI is available

At present, QOPI® is also available to countries outside the United States and U.S. territories including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, India, European Union (all countries), Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia.

If your country is not listed please participate in our International Interest Survey to be added to our list of consideration for future expansion.

How your country can participate in QOPI®

Participation in QOPI is free for each practice with at least one active ASCO member. Additional requirements include:

  • The ability to read and understand QOPI measures in English in order to input data
  • A custom participation agreement

Why international practices participate

QOPI’s strength is rooted in its comprehensive library of measures offered. QOPI® provides a way for you to reliably assess your care relative to its established measures of care in oncology and demonstrate your quality to patients and external stakeholders. The initiative allows practices to:

  • Measure and demonstrate quality improvement with a reliable, oncologist-led process and a practice-changing tool
  • Receive practice-specific and comparative performance reports to help guide your quality improvement activities
  • Join a global community of practices working toward the same measures of quality care and participate in special projects and studies

QOPI® Certification Program

The QOPI® Certification Program (QCP) provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices, with the primary mission of supporting and recognizing high-quality care.

Countries where QOPI Certification is Available

The application process for QCP (for which there is a cost based on ASCO expenses related to certifying your practice) is now open in Brazil, Greece, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Spain. The program is exploring expansion to additional countries as resources allow as part of an ASCO initiative to assess where and how the Society can make QOPI® Certification available.

QOPI® Certification Program Map

Why international practices participate

Applying for QOPI® Certification can benefit your practice and patients in numerous ways. Benchmarking performance against established thresholds can assist practitioners in achieving specific improvement goals. Preparing for and completing the site assessment stimulates an internal discussion on opportunities for practice improvement, team collaboration, and implementation of improved systems.

QOPI® Certification also validates your practice’s processes using U.S.-approved standards, demonstrating to patients, payers, and colleagues a commitment to quality. Certification can

  • Build your reputation as a quality oncology practice and be known as a champion of quality care on a global scale
  • Provide access to quality and safety standards specific to the outpatient oncology setting
  • Identify areas of improvement and improve communication between physicians and nurses

"QOPI Certification has given us the direction we needed to take better approaches and offer better care to our patients. It has made us think about our processes and how we provide our services in a whole different way."

-Carlos Frederico Pinto, MD, MBA, Executive Director, Instituto de Oncologia do Vale, Brazil

QOPI Certified since 2017

Resources for International QCP Applicants

Quality Training Program

About ASCO’s Quality Training Program

Also available in Spanish and Portuguese.

The Quality Training Program (QTP) offers education and training for physician-led oncology teams in a six-month or one-day format that prepares teams of oncology providers to design, implement, and lead successful quality improvement activities in their practice settings. International participants have included practice teams from Greece, Brazil, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and Saudi Arabia.

Benefits of participating in QTP

After participating in ASCO’s Quality Training Program, international participants will be able to:

  • Describe why quality improvement is important for clinicians
  • Identify techniques and tools used in quality improvement
  • Identify relevant metrics
  • Structure a quality improvement project

“ASCO’s QTP is an engaging and empowering model to develop improvement in one’s daily clinical practice. The program provides with the necessary tools to initiate and coordinate a complete QI project of any end-goal.”

-Dr. Cynthia Villarreal and Dr. Omar Peña Curiel, Hospital Zambrano, Mexico

Quality Training Program graduates

For more information about either version of the Quality Training Program, how to apply, and/or how to host a local quality training or workshop in your country/region, complete our International Interest Survey and email globalquality@asco.org.

Licensing Opportunities

Now you can license the Quality Training Program content to conduct your own training. ASCO has previously hosted Quality Training Programs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Additional language translations are available and subject to the collaboration with your practice or institution. The licensed program includes all the presentation slides, a faculty instruction manual, and the right to display a special ASCO logo.

ASCO’s Quality of Care Symposium is now available for licensing. ASCO’s Quality of Care Symposium brings together top leaders in the field to share strategies and methods for improving the measurement and implementation of quality and safety in cancer care. The licensed program known as “ASCO Direct™ Highlight” features up to two days of the latest developments in oncology quality from invited experts, panel discussions, and abstract presentations. The Symposium promotes innovation, collaboration, and cooperation in cancer-focused quality measurement and improvement, and health services research.

The ASCO Direct™ licensing package includes:

  1. Access to the use of abstracts from the ASCO’s Quality of Care Symposium
  2. The right to customize the program to meet local educational goals
  3. Original slides from the ASCO’s Quality of Care Symposium presentations that correspond to the abstracts selected (to the extent that permission is granted from the original presenter)
  4. Use of the ASCO Direct™ name and logo
  5. Defined marketing assistance provided by ASCO

For further information please contact licensing@asco.org.

International Quality Taskforce

In 2016, ASCO established an International Quality Taskforce (IQTF) to support the strategic expansion of ASCO’s quality program offerings internationally. As of 2022, the IQTF is now the International Quality Steering Group (IQSG). Members of the IQSG are comprised of clinicians and experts with international oncology experience, quality measurement, and/or practice-based quality improvement.

IQSG priorities for 2021-2022:

  • Continuation and expansion of the low middle-income country project and identifying key highlights for practices participating in the pilot
  • Evaluation of ASCO Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification Pilot for international practices
  • Coordinating with ASCO’s International Affairs
  • Provide education and market Global Quality programs