Dr. Jennis on Progress in Implementing Oncology Care Model

Andrew Jennis, MD a hematologist/oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health, who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive cancers, discusses the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Oncology Care Model (OCM), a value model in which there is the opportunity for shared savings for both oncologists and CMS, so long as oncology care is administered in a cost-efficient manner.

The OCM has yielded some success, says Jennis, but not without challenges. The biggest challenges are the volume of data being collected and understanding how that data are being analyzed and, most importantly, how that data can be integrated into oncology practices. How do oncologists change their practices to take advantage of the incentives that are incorporated into the OCM? What do oncologists do with data they receive through the OCM that may be a bit dated? Despite these ongoing issues, oncologists have been pleased with the model so far, says Jennis, and the OCM will be a big part of the future in terms of value-driven oncology care.