How connected technologies can transform cancer care

Connected health technologies hold great potential for improving cancer care and research, but too much data remains “trapped” in siloes, according to a report from the President’s Cancer Panel.

The report to president Barack Obama explores the role and potential of connected health in cancer care, based on a series of workshops held across the United States.

It concluded that technology’s potential has yet to be achieved, but can play a significant role in achieving three goals: improving patient and caregiver experience with cancer care; improve that of oncology workforce as well, and reducing the burden of cancer at the population level.

However, technology must be implemented thoughtfully and continually improved based on users’ experiences and evidence, it says, adding that collaboration is essential between the healthcare industry, biomedical researchers and technology vendors.

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Connected health technology can also double the rate of progress in the Cancer Moonshot initiative over the next five years, it says.

The panel made interoperability across the care-delivery system its top critical objective.  It stresses the need for seamless communication and easy-to-use care-coordination tools, but also calls on health IT stakeholder groups to continue collaboration to overcome policy and technical barriers to a nationwide, interoperable health IT system.

Other objectives include enabling patients to manage their health information and participate in their own care, offering federal programs and tools to support the oncology workforce and ensuring providers have adequate internet access.

The panel worked closely with the American Society of Clinical Oncology on its recommendations, series co-chair Bradford Hesse, PhD, chief of the National Cancer Institute's Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, told Medscape, including factors such as how a burgeoning number of cancer survivors will put pressure on multiple parts of the medical system.  

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He also pointed to a voluntary pact among vendors to prevent data blocking as a hopeful sign for improved interoperability.