Using a Whole-Person Approach in Supportive Care to Improve Cancer Outcomes

Andrew T. Leitner, MD, spoke with CancerNetwork^® regarding the Together for Supportive Cancer Care coalition and how it was designed to take a whole-person care approach that is often missed throughout different treatment strategies.

Leitner, chair in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine, associate clinical professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, and chief in the Division of Interventional Patin Management at City of Hope in Duarte, California, also highlighted that the coalition aims to advance the national conversation surrounding supportive cancer care to impact key factors such as health care utilization and cost-effectiveness of therapy. Emphasizing the possibility of accomplishing “more together,” Leitner expressed his hope in having other partners join the coalition to bring in more focused philanthropic support.

Formed based on the recognition of the insufficiency of current supportive care services, the coalition aims to improve the overall patient experience. Additionally, the coalition aims to share best practices for patients and caregivers to help with the supportive care environment.

Transcript:

What we’re looking to do is advance the comprehensive, whole-person approach to cancer care that we know supportive care provides. This kind of coalition work is greater than the sum of its parts that are limited either to geographies, resource constraints, or smaller constituencies. By coming together to advance the national conversation, we can move some of the metrics by which we are able to provide these services, whether it’s in the payer landscape or recognition of how closely these are tied to outcomes, including health care utilization and cost-effectiveness. We do more together, and this coalition is an example of where we can bring in focused philanthropic support. For that, we have the Biller Family Foundation to thank for bringing us together in this type of forum, as well as increasing buy-in from partner organizations to move this forward. We hope others will join us.