All Health Literacy OI Articles

In her first Oncology Issues column, ACCC president Nadine J. Barrett, PHD, MA, MS, FACCC, shares her 2024-2025 ACCC President’s Theme.

This study evaluated the effects of regular physical activity on the physical health, psychosocial wellness, and quality of life of cancer survivors.

Embedding counseling services into oncology and palliative care across 6 clinic locations landed this program a 2023 ACCC Innovator Award. Learn how this model allows patients to receive psychosocial care from treatment through survivorship.

Discover how St. Elizabeth Cancer Center launched a comprehensive program to perform outreach to patients with outstanding orders for lung, breast, and colon cancer screenings.

Discover how the Susan G. Komen’s Patient Care Center has been able to improve the accessibility for Spanish-speaking patients by bolstering their team of bilingual staff and leveraging technology.

Explore 4 pillars for creating a differentiated patient experience through performance and service line optimization to increase patient access, implementation of system-wide navigation services, and more.

This Modern Healthcare virtual briefing gathered industry leaders to discuss how digital transformation and health equity will help shape the hospital of the future.

Learn how Dorcy Cancer Center at St Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, developed and implemented the model tobacco cessation program.

The importance of care coordination in managing the adverse effects of cancer treatment and navigating patient challenges such as emotional distress, isolation, financial toxicity, and lower quality of life.

Learn about the critical role patient navigation plays in identifying, addressing, and dismantling health inequities across the cancer care continuum.

Adopting a human-centered approach to designing clinical trials that considers the preferences and experiences of rural patients with cancer and providers could increase patient enrollment and close care gaps.

Despite scientific and medical advances, the incidence and mortality rates of cancer remain disproportionately high among certain populations. Understanding this, combatting the inequities that exist will be key to delivering next generation cancer care.

The Collaborative Care Model uses the stepped care approach, enabling a flexible and personalized treatment approach that aligns with each patient’s specific needs.

This study at Atrium Health, Levine Cancer Institute, highlights the needs of patients with lung cancer and their care partners.

In view of the increasing demand for genetic counseling, Aurora Health Care developed this center to better understand the needs of patients with hereditary cancer syndromes.

Climate change is typically seen through an environmental, political, or socioeconomic lens. Yet it should also be seen as a catastrophic health threat as it will have an effect on the delivery of comprehensive cancer care.

The interdisciplinary team at Baptist Health, Miami Cancer Institute evaluated existing processes and leveraged technology to improve oral oncolytic compliance through education, consent, and adherence standards.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center developed the James Cancer Diagnostic Center, to deliver a comprehensive assessment of signs or symptoms of malignancy in a timely fashion.

Backed by strategic partnerships, ACCC held a multistakeholder meeting focused on exploring the current state of psychosocial support in oncology.

Through a collaboration between legal and healthcare professionals, this Virginia based medical-legal partnership assists patients with cancer resolve social and environmental factors that contribute to health disparities.

An interview with Kathyrn Smolinski, MSW, JD on the development and implementation of the medical-legal partnership between Wayne State University Law School and the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Following the disparate outcomes of the COVID-19, combatting the inequities that exist within the American healthcare system remains a key objective of ACCC.

Amid the implementation of technological solutions such as remote patient monitoring in cancer care, it is important that all patients with cancer—regardless of race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status—benefit equitably.

A national survey was conducted to analyze the approach cancer programs adopt toward patient access today, highlighting the current challenges, and operational methods of different cancer care delivery models.

Highlands Oncology Group took key steps toward implementing an ePRO platform aimed at reducing emergency department utilization and unplanned hospitalization, while improving the patient’s quality of life.

ACCC conducted a national, institution-directed quality improvement initiative aimed at increasing the rates of guideline-concordant genetic counseling and testing in patients with Stage 0 to III breast cancer, where results could impact care.

Charleston Area Medical Center Cancer Center is the largest cancer program in Southern West Virginia. The cancer center opened a new treatment clinic to offer pre- and post-treatment visits to better help patients navigate their cancer journey.

The absence of an optimal cancer care coordination model coupled with the vast network of providers involved in cancer care, necessitates the implementation of key strategies to strengthen care coordination.

Cancer and its treatment impact patients in many ways, beginning before a diagnosis and lasting long through survivorship, including one's sexual health. All of Me was created to bridge this communication gap between patients and providers.

This pilot study aimed to determine the efficacy of a community-based wellness program offered to patients outside of the clinical setting.

Advancements in reproductive science has provided more options for women to take greater control of their reproductive future.

Cancer Care Associates of York, implemented an autonomous APP model of care designed to allow these clinicians to work at the top of their license, facilitate effective physician and APP partnerships, and improve overall patient satisfaction.

A multicentered study based in Ohio measured genetic counseling referrals for patients with cancer.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center shares details about how it shifted from a push to a pull model of care for patients who present at the emergency department with incidental findings.

ACCC and AstraZeneca were recognized for their joint effort in the Rural Appalachian Lung Cancer Screening Initiative at the Cancer Moonshot: Goals Forum hosted, by the President and First Lady.

The Iowa Oncology Society launched an educational project designed to spark conversations, and raise awareness about the importance of genetic testing, counseling, and screening.

The successful deployment of technology in cancer practices, promises to improve the quality of patient care and the patient experience, while also alleviating excessive burdens on clinicians and staff.

The ACCC Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide is an interactive and fully digital tool, patients, health care providers and members of the multidisciplinary oncology care team can access to help find and apply for financial assistance.

The HealthPartners Frauenshuh Cancer Center has safely incorporated cannabis in the treatment of patients with cancer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact in the rate of cancer screening across various states in the United States. Louisiana, Delaware, Kentucky and Northern Michigan serve as vehicles for an analysis of the disparity in cancer screening rates, before and after the pandemic.

Disparities in evaluation, management, and mortality persist in patient populations where bladder cancer is less common.

The overall cancer rate among adolescents and young adults is on a gradual increase, thus creating the need for oncology programs geared towards young adults and adolescents.

Comprehensive cancer care encompasses a wide range of services that are critical to high-quality care and the patient experience.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilmot Cancer Institute's integrative oncology team shares how integrative oncology-based services can be delivered via telehealth.

Leveraging the Discussions of Cost App to reduce financial toxicity and improve treatment cost communication.

As part of the conversation regarding the optimal restructuring of multidisciplinary cancer care clinics, the authors developed a quality improvement project focused on understanding how patients view multidisciplinary cancer care.

In 2019, at the University of Colorado, Douglas Holt, MD, led the effort to implement and study the use of virtual reality within the clinic for patient education in oncology.

When the COVID-19 public health emergency heightened, everyone’s priorities shifted and the Patient and Family Advisory Council moved to the virtual space.

While the number of oncology patients and survivors is increasing, the growth of medical oncologists has lagged behind, and advanced practice providers (APPs) play a critical role in filling this care gap.

An expert ACCC Steering Committee shares 32 informed treatment and care delivery recommendations for the ideal care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

In 2019 the Association of Community Cancer Centers developed an education program to provide all members of the multidisciplinary care team knowledge and resources to help successfully integrate immunotherapies into the treatment of patients with RCC.

With the rise of immunotherapies, it is critical to ensure patient safety, as the toxicity profiles of immunotherapy agents are vastly different from traditional cytotoxic chemotherapies.

In the current transition to value-based care, avoidable ER utilization represents an opportunity for cost savings, but difficulties remain in determining what visits are and are not avoidable based on coding and billing data alone.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated risks for patients with cancer, all Life with Cancer programming was cancelled on Mar. 12, 2020. Staff, struggling with their own anxiety over personal safety, quickly went into action on how best to continue to meet the psychological and educational needs of patients and families.

One VA Center improved patient education by developing an online resource for veterans with cancer. Although several barriers emerged during this quality improvement process, the VA Center was able to meet its patients needs and decrease their anxiety.

A dynamic partnership with a technology company allowed one cancer program to improve patient education through the use of digital communication. Today patients receive emails or texts at crucial and targeted moments during their cancer treatment journey.

In looking at cancer incidence data, Tri-Cities Cancer Center found that its region was experiencing a higher rate of late-stage lung and colorectal diagnoses than the national average. The cancer center developed a creative and humorous marketing campaign and workplace wellness program to raise awareness and increase screening compliance.

Most healthcare facilities provide information online and offer handouts to patients at their facilities. I suggest that cancer programs, professional organizations, and physicians should pivot toward “teaching” patients how to obtain quality, cutting-edge care in their own communities. Specifically, our profession should engage patients with sophisticated video-based patient education. That is why I created the Breast Cancer School for Patients.

Because of its growing retirement-age population and its unique location on a barrier island, The Outer Banks Hospital saw patients with lung cancer presenting at too late a stage for curative treatment. Learn how the hospital created an LDCT program and partnered with local providers and community cancer centers to identify patients with lung cancer at an earlier stage.

While financial navigation programs ease the burden of financial toxicity on patients with cancer and help healthcare organizations with revenue loss, the manual nature of the process is challenging for navigators and financial advocates. Cowell Family Cancer Center piloted a financial navigation software program to analyze the effects of automation on productivity, workflow, and organizational alignment.

The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute implemented the Supportive Care of Oncology Patients (SCOOP) Program, which developed and implemented a clinical pathway that improved the patient experience and reduced the cost of care in selective curative cases.

The complexity of head and neck cancer management demands greater attention in order to provide high-quality care. UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center developed a well-defined care pathway to enable predictability and consistency in both care delivery and cost.

In the face of changing patient demographics, Clearview Cancer Institute made a concerted effort to bolster their patient education program across several different methods of communication.

When SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center found itself unable to quantify performance in inpatient oncology, it saw an opportunity to break down barriers in communication and education between the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Discover how 2017 ACCC Innovator Award winner Advocate Medical Group developed and implemented an immunotherapy program, lessons learned, and tools created to educate staff and patients.

By implementing a weekly outpatient nutrition clinic for patients with head and neck cancer, this 2014 ACCC Innovator Award winner improved patient quality of life and reduced the cost of care.

In Arizona, Yuma Regional Medical Center Cancer Center leveraged the traditional Hispanic promotora, or community health worker, to reach high-risk and underserved populations.

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pa., committed resources to develop a program to improve communication and education between oncology and primary care, and improve overall survivorship care.

In this article, we share the experience of the Duke Cancer Institute initiative to expand its capacity to engage the community and the health system towards achieving improved population and patient health outcomes.