Dr Sibel Blau Discusses Physician, Staff Education Around OCM

Implementing the Oncology Care Model required educating physicians and staff on a new way to do the work and why the changes were necessary under the new model, explained Sibel Blau, MD, medical oncologist at Northwest Medical Specialties, PLLC.

Transcript

How were you educating physicians and staff on the Oncology Care Model?

There were general meetings, big meetings, that provided a general overview. But most of it was done mainly by patient care coordinators and case managers talking to the individuals and giving the education and the focused parts of their workload and how it affects what they do, how that affects the whole model.

For example, the [medical assistants] had to do the medicine reconciliation in the way that it was never perfect, and telling them that, “Hey, you have to do this,” is not enough, you have to say why you have to do this. And that was always a part of it. In the context of we’re doing value-based care, Oncology Care Model requires this. A lot of times it was that people understand for a while and they get rebellious or they get upset: “Why do I have to do this redundant work?”

Especially providers, because it puts a lot on them on trying to record things in the [electronic medical record]. And you have to just sometimes say, “This is the new model, this is where we’re going, this is a change that’s going to take time.” Sometimes it’s hard to explain everything. Sometimes you don’t even understand it perfectly yourself. It is the way it is. We have to do this. That was the last part of this whole education, trying to transform the practice piece.

There was also education on the patient’s part, which is very difficult to do. You have to develop a separate system starting with the patient care upfront. When they come into the clinic, you have to start explaining to them, “We’re doing something different; we are a medical home. We’re going to be treating you with your cancer, but also we have to give you the opportunity to provide the best care to you by working with us.” And that requires patient compliance and attendance to this, as well.