Independence Blue Cross and Jefferson Health study published in the journal Cancer finds outpatient supportive oncology programs improve care and reduce costs

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a study published in the journal Cancer by Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and Jefferson Health show positive outcomes to having supportive oncology programs. The study found that these types of programs are associated with fewer in-patient hospital admissions and emergency room visits. They also help lower the total financial costs for patients receiving advanced care, the study shows. 

Supportive oncology programs integrate social work, nutritional counseling, navigation, financial advocacy, nursing, palliative medicine, and pain management for psycho–oncology with standard oncology treatment to meet the multidimensional care needs of patients with cancer.

"Supportive oncology programs are an enormous resource for our members, and the data show how care utilization patterns change in a positive way for those in need of these supportive services," said Aaron Smith-McLallen, Ph.D., director of Health Informatics & Advanced Analytics at Independence Blue Cross and one of the study authors. "My hope is that others in the health care field are encouraged by our work and make it a priority to explore these types of programs. Bridging the gap in resources and expertise can help ensure that everyone benefits from the life-enhancing services that supportive oncology programs can provide."

IBX and Jefferson Health, along with Thomas Jefferson University researchers, took a unique approach to the study. They used three distinct comparison groups, so they could ask more questions and account for different types of potential biases. They looked at a treatment group that included patients who were part of a supportive oncology program at Jefferson's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and compared it to the following:

• Patients who received palliative care at Jefferson Health before they had a supportive oncology program in place.
• Patients who received palliative care in Southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider.
• Patients who received cancer care in Southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider but did not have palliative care.

The findings provide important new evidence on the positive impact and effectiveness of supportive oncology programs in patients with advanced cancer. They also suggest that these types of programs can improve the quality and efficiency of care for patients with advanced cancer.

"Our study demonstrates that supportive oncology programs not only enhance patient care but also lead to more efficient healthcare utilization and lower costs. These findings underscore the importance of integrating comprehensive support services into standard cancer treatment, potentially transforming the landscape of advanced cancer care.  This can only be accomplished on a large scale if both payors and healthcare institutions collaborate as we are happy to have done with IBX on this work," said Brooke Worster, M.D., FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Enterprise Director Supportive Oncology at Jefferson Health.

The authors of the study assert that better health outcomes can be achieved for those with advanced cancer if health plans and providers work together to develop, adopt, and implement supportive oncology programs. There are many ways this could happen. There could be innovative payment models developed that reimburse for the full range of supportive oncology services, training, and education could be provided to clinicians on the benefits of this type of care, and/or supportive oncology programs could be integrated into existing cancer care pathways.

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 85 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Jefferson    
Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 43,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia area, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 17 hospitals and more than 160 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.  

SOURCE Independence Blue Cross