PCOC 2023 RECAP

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, USA Aerial

Highlights from the Patient-Centered Oncology Care^® (PCOC) 2023 conference from The American Journal of Managed Care^®(AJMC^®)

EVENT SUMMARY

The AJMC^® annual PCOC conference unites leaders in oncology and value-based care, offering valuable insights into the dynamic, rapidly changing oncology care landscape. The theme of the 2023 meeting was “Navigating the Cancer Journey,” which served as a focal point for a diverse community of oncology professionals, patient advocates, and researchers. Together, they explored innovative strategies aimed at enhancing patient outcomes. The 2-day event featured expert-led panel discussions, collaborative networking opportunities, and a deep examination of real-world evidence. The discussions also emphasized the crucial role equity plays in improving the delivery of care and the effects trends in population health have on today’s patients.

Complementary Therapies Enhance Accessibility

Bispecific antibodies and CAR T-cell therapy are complementary and are not in competition with each other. When deciding which to use, the best therapy may be the one that the patient can access.

Payer-Practice Pathway Collaboration Challenges

A major challenge oncology practices have had collaborating with payers in developing pathways is that there are often nuanced differences between the payer pathways and those used by the practice or the network.

Genomic Testing: Valuable Treatment Guidance

Genomic testing is worth the wait to get results to guide treatment—and certainly provides value when balanced against the cost of a therapy that does not work.

Challenges in Rebate Benefits

A highlight of PCOC was a discussion with a health care economist, who explained how pharmacy benefit managers negotiated large rebates, but the benefits of these rebates did not flow to the patients affected by the costs of the therapies.

Financial Toxicity in Clinical Trials

Discussions on financial toxicity showed how even when a patient enrolls in a clinical trial, there may be thousands of dollars in costs not covered by insurance. Financial toxicity must be addressed in a holistic manner.

PCOC 2023 BY THE NUMBERS

The following titles were accurate as of the PCOC 2023 event but may have changed since then.

Faculty

Institutions Represented Among Faculty

Multidisciplinary Panel Discussions

Featured Speaker Session

Articles & Videos Produced by AJMC®

Publication Produced by AJMC®

Joseph Alvarnas, MD

CO-CHAIR, Vice President, Government Affairs Senior Medical Director, Employer Strategy Clinical Professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation City of Hope Duarte, CA