Oncology Medical Homes: ASCO-Community Oncology Alliance Standards

ASCO Standards are evidence-based standards to provide frameworks for best practices in cancer care, following the standards development process as outlined in the ASCO Standards Policies and Procedures Manual . ASCO Standards follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Standards and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgement. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases, or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in Appendix 1 and 2 (online only) for more. PURPOSE To update Standards for an Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program on the basis of evidence and expert consensus. OMH is a system of care delivery that models coordinated, efficient, accessible, and evidence-based care reinforced by measurement of outcomes to facilitate continuous quality improvement. METHODS An Expert Panel formed to review and update the OMH Standards. The Panel updated the 2021 systematic literature review on the topics of OMH model of care, clinical pathways, and survivorship care plans (SCPs). New topics for this update include safety and just culture in health care, multidisciplinary team (MDT) management, and geriatric assessment. An informal consensus process was used to revise, update, and add new standards. The process incorporated practice experience gained from a pilot certification process on the basis of the standards. Input was gained from open comment and external review before finalization. RESULTS No new evidence was identified to warrant revisions to standards on the overarching OMH model of care, SCPs, and clinical pathways originally reported in the 2021 ASCO-Community Oncology Alliance OMH Standards. An additional literature search on safety and just culture in oncology identified three integrative reviews and one systematic review. This evidence, combined with existing ASCO guidance on MDT management and geriatric assessment, plus Expert Panel survey feedback, resulted in modifications to two existing standards and the addition of four new standards. STANDARDS 2025 OMH Standards are provided. The Standards support quality oncology care delivery in the areas of patient engagement, availability and access to care, evidence-based medicine, comprehensive team-based care, quality improvement, goals of care, palliative and end-of-life care discussions, and safe antineoplastic therapy administration. Additional information, including the Standards implementation manual, is available at: www.asco.org/standards .