February 2023 Precision Prevention News: Six to Skim

The latest in precision prevention news, curated for CancerIQ's community of oncologists, genetic counselors, breast centers, primary care providers, and anyone interested in staying ahead of cancer.

1. How to Make Meaningful Moves Toward Health Equity in Cancer Care via MedPage Today
   
   “I think it’s really, really important that everyone understands – and this is the doctors, the nurses, the women themselves – that screening is not a one size fits all recommendation. We cannot just make one general recommendation to the entire population because individual women have different levels of risks of developing breast cancer." - Dr. Ruth Oratz, NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center.
   
   CancerIQ makes it easy for breast centers to provide cancer risk assessment for every patient who walks through the door. The combination of our technology, patient-friendly tools and experienced team helps breast imaging staff save time, identify more women with risk factors, and improve adherence to recommended care plans. With CancerIQ, you can maximize the clinical and financial impact of your high-risk breast program.
   
   
2. I thought knowing I had the ‘cancer gene’ would cast a shadow over my life. Now I have it, I realise how wrong I was via The Guardian
   
   

   In this powerful patient perspective, Hilary Osborne of The Guardian once thought knowing she had a genetic mutation would cast a shadow over her life. Now that she's been diagnosed with breast cancer and a BRCA2 mutation, she has a different perspective on the screenings she might have been able to access by getting tested sooner.
   
   "I thought about it fleetingly. Should I ask a doctor if I could, or should, have a test? But I was more concerned about what I would do with the information... Now, of course, I look back and wonder why I didn’t do things differently."
   
   For her, it turns out knowing has given her clarity to make informed decisions about what happens next. And it's impacted her providers, too – "it has empowered the people treating me – there are new, targeted drugs coming on track for people who carry the mutation and aim to stop the cancer coming back. Now that I know how powerful the knowledge is, and that there is support, I wish I hadn’t waited."

3. White House unveils CancerX innovation accelerator, new funding for cancer screenings on Moonshot anniversary via Fierce Healthcare
   
   [Yesterday The White House announced $10M in new funding to improve access to cancer screenings and early detection, including patient navigation support.
   
   At CancerIQ, we know effective cancer prevention starts with comprehensive risk assessment. We need to be evaluating every patient across the entire spectrum of risk — that includes genetic, hereditary, lifestyle and adherence risk factors. But we can’t stop there. We also need to bridge resource gaps and provide clear pathways for prevention, so it’s easy for patients to manage their personal cancer risk.
   
   We can’t wait to share more in the coming months about how CancerIQ is working with health systems to provide a tailor-fit suite of comprehensive prevention services, including virtual navigation and genetic counseling, that plug directly into existing workflows.
   
   Stay tuned!]
   
   
4. Patients' Defensive Thinking May Hinder Colorectal Cancer Screening via MedPage Today
   
   

   Defensive thinking patterns like those uncovered in a recent study highlighted by MedPage Today can create significant adherence barriers to colon cancer sceening. Supporting providers with technology and educational content to facilitate conversations around screening is a huge opportunity to improve conversion rates and impact more patients.
   
   At CancerIQ, we're making sure that front line physicians and staff have the scripting and supporting materials to engage patients in conversations about their cancer risk. Our new preventive care platform generates a personalized letter, walking patients through their risk and eligibility results, providing them with education and actionable next steps to improve adherence, and is customizable by providers.

   
   

5. The Share of Younger New Patients Seeing Oncology Providers Is Increasing Over Time via Trilliant Health
   
   

   According to Trilliant Health there has been a concerning, nationwide increase in the share of new patients associated with oncology providers across all ages. The most alarming was among 25-44 year olds, who are seeing oncology providers at a +5% higher rate in the last 5 years alone. Health systems can act now to improve outcomes for these patients, earn their loyalty, and generate near-term revenue with preventive services.
   
   Thew challenge of unexpected growth in volume can lead to longer wait times and patient leakage – but organizations can prepare for this uptick. How? The key is ensuring high-risk patients stay within your network for care. Start by laying the foundation for these referral patterns –or automate the clinical workflow at point of care– ensuring that patients have a follow-up appointment scheduled before they leave oncology.
   
   
6. WATCH: "Why even offer a preventive oncology program?"
   
   Watch Feyi Ayodele, highlight the most important benefits of preventive oncology for health systems – and why we're working to scale the clinical and financial outcomes CancerIQ Co-Founder Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Olopade has pioneered at The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
   
   
   
   
   Learn how we can help you stand up these services in your health system: 
   

eBook Excerpt: Why Preventive Oncology is an Untapped Revenue Source for Today’s Health Systems

Our new Preventive Oncology eBook is out – and you can dive in instantly by reading an excerpt – or download it in full for free, now on our blog! Learn why of the greatest sources of untapped revenue lies in oncology, where an unmet need for cancer prevention also promises to drive innovation forward, and how three simple steps can help your health system unlock this value – within near-term ROI for this revenue cycle.

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