Oncology Experts from Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions Share Cancer Care Research at 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

DUBLIN, Ohio, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions today announced that it will share key findings from recently conducted cancer care research at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), taking place June 1-5, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions partners with oncologists, rheumatologists and payors to manage clinical care pathways, or evidence-based treatment regimens, to improve the quality and costs of care provided to cancer and rheumatoid arthritis patients. Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions collaborated with a number of partners, including Georgia Care Specialists, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan and Genomic Health to determine various patterns of patient care. Research from three of these studies will be highlighted via poster presentations at ASCO's 2012 Annual Meeting; and three more of these studies will be shared with ASCO members in abstract form.

"As we work every day with healthcare professionals, payors and pharmaceutical companies to improve the quality and costs of cancer care, we're also learning more about how new technologies, new reimbursement models and new tools like clinical pathways can impact the way cancer care is delivered," said Meghan Fitzgerald, president of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. "We're honored to work with our customers and partners to share some of these key research findings with the broader cancer care community at ASCO's 2012 Annual Meeting."

Research from Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions and partnering cancer care experts will be recognized at ASCO's 2012 Annual Meeting via the following poster presentations:

• Relationship between Oncotype DX® testing and the use of chemotherapy in high-risk patients (Abstract #6098)
  Monday, June 4, 2012; 1:15-5:15 p.m.; S Hall A2
  CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield insurance network and Genomic Health partnered with Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions to leverage data from proprietary claims software to determine patterns of care among high-risk patients who received Oncotype DX testing. 

Authors: From CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield: Winston Wong, Pharm. D.; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions: Joseph Cooper, Bruce Feinberg, MD; From Genomic Health: Steve Richardson, MD.

• Evaluation of Oncotype DX® testing and subsequent patterns of care in patients with early-stage breast cancer (Abstract #569)
  Saturday, June 2, 2012; 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., S Hall A2
  CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield insurance network, Georgia Cancer Specialists and Genomic Health partnered with Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions to leverage data from proprietary claims software to determine patterns of care among patients with early-stage breast cancer who received Oncotype DX testing. 

Authors: From Georgia Cancer Specialists: Sally Haislip, RPh., James Gilmore, Pharm.D., Stephen Szabo, MD; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions:Meghan Fitzgerald, Robert Hassell, Joseph Cooper, Bruce Feinberg, MD.; From Genomic Health: Steve Richardson, MD. 

• Evaluation of variables that may impact chemotherapy administration after determination of Oncotype DX® Recurrence Score® (Abstract #571)
  Saturday, June 2; 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.; S Hall A2
  Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions partnered with Georgia Cancer Specialists and Genomic Health to better understand which patient characteristics and physician-prescribing patterns most impact physician decisions to administer chemotherapy to patients with estrogen receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) whose Oncotype DX Recurrence Score indicated they were at a high risk for recurrence.  

Authors: From Georgia Cancer Specialists: Sally Haislip, RPh., James Gilmore, Pharm.D., Kristina Bowen, MD, Stephen Szabo, MD; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions: Joseph Cooper, Meghan Fitzgerald, Bruce Feinberg, MD; Robert Hassell; From Genomic Health: Steve Richardson, MD. 

Research from Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions and partnering cancer care experts will be recognized at ASCO's 2012 Annual Meeting via the following abstracts:

• Physician participation and compliance with cancer clinical care pathways: a successful model of collaboration between payors and providers (Abstract #e16552)
  BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan, Physician Resource Management and Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions together developed a clinical pathways program to improve the consistency and quality of patient care while reducing costs. This study examines the role that incentives played in encouraging physicians to participate and comply with this clinical pathways program after one year.

Authors: From BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan: Thomas Ruane, MD; From Oncology Physician Resource/ Physician Resource Management:  Philip Stella, MD.; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions: Joseph Cooper Jeffery Scott, MD, Bruce Feinberg, MD.

• The impact of a novel reimbursement model on physician revenue (Abstract #16540)
  After launching the first cancer care pathways in the United States in 2008, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions partnered with participating physicians to create a unique mechanism of reimbursement that encouraged physicians to focus on optimal treatment course without financially incenting them to prescribe chemotherapy. This study analyzed the impact of this novel reimbursement model on physician revenue after one year.

Authors: From CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield: Winston Wong, Pharm.D; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions: Bruce Feinberg,MD., Joseph Cooper, Tim Olson, Jeffrey Scott, MD.

• Evaluation of variables that may impact the use of Oncotype DX® testing (Abstract #e1102)
  Data from a cancer care pathways program implemented by Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield insurance network revealed an underuse of Oncotype DX testing in patients with estrogen receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer. This study examines patterns of Oncotype DX use at Georgia Cancer Specialists and identifies the variables that most impacted the use of that testing.

Authors: From Georgia Cancer Specialists: Sally Haislip, RPh., James Gilmore, Pharm.D., Stephen Szabo, MD; From Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions: Joseph Cooper, Meghan Fitzgerald, Robert Hassell, Bruce Feinberg, MD; From Genomic Health: Steve Richardson, MD. 

About Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions

Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions provides regulatory, clinical, reimbursement, technology and distribution services to help health care professionals, payors and pharmaceutical and biotech companies improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of caring for patients who are managing complex diseases.  Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions partners with customers to alleviate day-to-day administrative burdens, optimize business functions and to implement new innovations that move their businesses forward.  To learn more, visit www.cardinalhealth.com/specialtysolutions.

About Cardinal Health

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $103 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #21 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.

SOURCE Cardinal Health