2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.17F.01 Care Pathways for Lung Cancer: Building a Foundation for Optimal Care

Pdf Summary

The document focuses on the increasing prevalence of lung cancer and the consequent strain on healthcare systems. It highlights the necessity for structured care pathways to enhance lung cancer treatment across all stages, starting from suspicion of the disease to post-treatment and end-of-life care. These pathways are based on agreed national guidelines and aim to ensure coordinated healthcare access, reducing care disparities and integrating new technologies seamlessly.<br /><br />The implementation of lung cancer care pathways facilitates multidisciplinary care decisions and organizational processes, improving patient experiences, outcomes, and survival rates. Despite their proven benefits, formal care pathways for lung cancer are not widely established. However, where established, these pathways effectively address inequities in lung cancer care and aid health systems in adapting to the evolving landscape of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.<br /><br />The methodology used in the report combines a review of existing literature, qualitative expert interviews, and insights from the Lung Cancer Policy Network. From this, ten key areas for action have emerged to assist health system leaders in delivering high-quality care through the implementation of consensus-driven care pathways.<br /><br />The report also includes four case studies from the USA, Australia, Brazil, UK, Netherlands, and Spain, illustrating the successful application of these pathways in various healthcare contexts. These studies emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary care, nutritional support integration, performance metrics for quality assessment, and biomarker utilization.<br /><br />The document concludes by urging healthcare leaders and policymakers to recognize the importance of establishing and optimizing lung cancer care pathways, which are essential for improving care quality and patient outcomes. The report advocates that these pathways be developed where absent and optimized where they exist, emphasizing their foundational role in advancing lung cancer treatment.

Asset Subtitle

Andrea K. Borondy-Kitts

Meta Tag

Speaker Andrea K. Borondy-Kitts

Topic Global Health, Health Services, and Health Economics

Keywords

lung cancer

healthcare systems

care pathways

treatment guidelines

multidisciplinary care

patient outcomes

healthcare disparities

biomarker utilization

policy network

case studies