The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) is in the final stages of compiling its new standards manual: Cancer Program Standards 2012: Ensuring Patient-Centered Care, which is scheduled for release in July 2011. Diane M. Otte, RN, MS, OCN®, the ONS liaison to the CoC, reports that the new standards focus on quality, patient-centered care, addressing key issues such as psychological distress, patient navigation, palliative care, and survivorship, among others.
The standards continue to be open for public comment while the CoC pilot tests them in 50 different survey sites. To provide feedback, use the 2012 Cancer Program Standards wiki on the CoC website.
To learn more about the revised standards, plan to attend a session at the ONS Annual Congress in Boston, MA: “New Commission on Cancer Standards: Demonstrating Outcome Measurement Through Multidisciplinary Care,” scheduled for April 28 at 3:45 pm. Otte will be presenting with Luana Lamkin, RN, MPH, and Frederick Greene, MD.
Otte will also be available to discuss the standards at the Management and Program Development SIG meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 30, at 10:30 am.
The CoC will use several methods to educate and disseminate the standards, including a webcast series scheduled for April, YouTube videos dedicated to each of the 34 standards in August/September, and use of a new Best Practices Repository to be available in September. The guidelines will be effective beginning January 2012.
The CoC Accreditation Program is a voluntary commitment designed to encourage hospitals, treatment centers, and other facilities to provide quality care. Programs undergo evaluation and review every three years. According to its website, more than 1,480 CoC-accredited programs diagnose and treat 80% of newly diagnosed patients annually.
The CoC’s Cancer Program Standards are updated every 5-7 years to reflect changes in cancer care. The current standards were last completely revised in 2004.
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