Panelists explain the need and the challenges with including principles of palliative care in oncology clinical pathways.
Surabhi Dangi-Garimella, PhD, asked the panelists to comment on whether palliative care is given consideration when developing clinical pathways.
Michael Fisch, MD, MPH, said that the pathways approach can extend beyond just drug regimens to other realms beyond just the drugs to be used in treatment. “There is widespread acknowledgement that the principles of primary palliative care are very important for patient outcomes.” He thinks principles of palliative care will soon be included on pathways to promote value and quality care.
“I don’t think there’s any one right answer,” said Kathy Lokay. “We’ve tried a number of things, using the software decision support tool, to ask physicians to document the treatment intent and whether it was discussed with the patient as a proxy for encouraging those discussions,” she said. Via Oncology, Lokay said, has struggled to figure out the right pieces to incorporate in pathways that would make an impact on palliative care in oncology.
Hospital Participation in Medicare ACOs: No Change in Admission Practices and Spending
August 19th 2025Hospital accountable care organization (ACO) participation did not impact emergency department admission rates, length of stay, or costs, suggesting limited effectiveness in reducing spending for unplanned admissions and challenging hospital-led ACO cost-saving strategies.
Read More
Using AI, Socioeconomic Factors to Predict Outcomes After Allo-SCT for AML
August 16th 2025Artificial intelligence (AI) and socioeconomic factors enhance risk stratification for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) post transplant, aiming to reduce hospital readmissions and disease progression.
Read More