ACCC LAUNCHES BLADDER CANCER CARE RESOURCE TO REDUCE DISPARITIES AS BLADDER CANCER RATES RISE

The Bladder Cancer Economic Study found: 

●      Major gaps in guideline-concordant care for all bladder cancer patients, particularly for those already facing disparities.

●      Significantly longer time to treatment for Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and Black patients.

●      Patients diagnosed with late-stage bladder cancer pay more for care than those diagnosed at an earlier stage, as they require more resource-intensive services.

As a result of the study, ACCC developed its first Quality Improvement (QI) initiative to address disparities in bladder cancer care. Through the program, cancer centers can apply to host a Bladder Cancer Care Quality Improvement Workshop at their facility, where they will be able to identify barriers to equitable care for people with bladder cancer and find solutions to address gaps in care. Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California, will host the first workshop this week.

“As members of the care team, urologists drive the care of patients with bladder cancer. By examining our own internal data and engaging our teams in discussion, we can understand where problems exist or how best to address them,” said Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS, Program Faculty of ACCC Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care QI Program. “This QI program offers leadership opportunities to drive the improvement of bladder cancer care within our own sphere of influence.”

ACCC will continue to expand its offerings to the resource center and will introduce new tools for cancer care programs. Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care is supported by funding from EMD Serono Inc. and Pfizer.