ASCO’s Framework: Value at the Crossroads
Many of the observations and recommendations in the ASCO value framework are sound, but significant work remains to be done.
Many of the observations and recommendations in the ASCO value framework are sound, but significant work remains to be done.
Yesterday the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released its long-awaited draft conceptual framework to assess the value of cancer treatment options.
PhRMA has long supported the development and use of sound tools that enable informed decision-making by patients and providers, which is foundational for fostering efficient delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. We also appreciate the challenges of developing sound tools – both in terms of conveying the right information at the right time, and making sure they are used to empower patient choices rather than limiting them.
We commend ASCO for the considerable work it has put in to its value framework. ASCO’s call to focus value on the patient-physician interaction echoes the conclusions made by leaders from across the cancer community in recent journal articles, which call for moving “beyond traditional approaches to comparative effectiveness research and health technology assessments to achieve better alignment with patient needs and values, as well as with the emerging science and changing clinical practice of oncology." We hope that ASCO continues to move the framework in a direction that is focused on patient values and physician-patient decision-making rather than shifting to focus on payer decision making and average value.
While many of the observations and recommendations in the ASCO value framework are sound, significant work remains to be done.
Key issues ASCO will need to address in building a patient-centric tool include:
PhRMA looks forward to engaging others in the cancer community in a dialogue about the development of sound, timely, patient-centric decision support tools.
Read PhRMA's statement on the ASCO Value Framework here.