Workshop Summary, Toward a Comprehensive Cancer Measure Set: Value-Based Episodes of Care 

Although significant gains have been made in both the prevention and treatment of cancer, many individuals do not receive the evidence-based interventions, such as screenings and adjuvant therapies, known to be effective in the early diagnosis and subsequent management of their disease. Building on the work of public and private driven initiatives, the National Quality Forum (NQF) is working to identify a comprehensive cancer measure set by applying the NQF framework for assessing “episode efficiency” for chronic conditions to the cancer community. Given the longitudinal nature of oncologic disease, with its discreet treatment phases, the complexity and diversity of care-givers, and the vital role of patient empowerment knowledge, cancer emerges as an excellent paradigm for exploring the potential of moving towards this episodic assessment of what constitutes optimal care and how this can be achieved in the most efficient manner.