The Model Oncology Team at Hygeia Hospital has been certified by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) under the new “ASCO Certified” quality assurance program for providing high-quality, person-centered care.

10 October 2024

The Model Oncology Team (MOT) and the 3rd Oncology Clinic of Hygeia Hospital under the direction of Ms. Razi, are the first oncology teams outside of the U.S. to be certified by ASCO’s new quality control program.  Achieving this certification demonstrates the MOT’s strong and ongoing commitment to evaluating the quality of oncology care it provides in accordance with national and international quality and safety standards. In addition, this is the second first for MOT in this area, as it received in 2016 under a similar ASCO program (Quality Certification Program).

The ASCO Certified program certifies teams that meet specific and detailed criteria based on evidence-based scientific data from ASCO’s Oncology Medical Home (OMH) and the American Community Oncology Alliance (COA). These criteria focus on seven areas of oncology care:

• Active patient involvement in care.
• Availability and accessibility.
• Medicine based on scientific evidence.
• Equal and holistic care, with an emphasis on teamwork.
• Continuous quality control.
• Communication with the patient about treatment goals, palliative and end-of-life care.
• Safety in chemotherapy.

As Ms. Razi stated: “Our certification by ASCO is a formal recognition of the quality of care we have provided to our patients over the years and we are very pleased to have met the criteria for certification, which was based on data and information from a pilot project that was applied to twelve teams (500 oncologists) working in private practice, academic centers and hospitals, in which the MOT participated. Our goal is to continuously improve our services and to provide a comprehensive coverage of oncology needs.

As part of this commitment, the MOT will continue to work diligently with the program surveyors, who will evaluate its performace, the use of patient satisfaction questionnaires, and protocols and algorithms for treatment selection and other qualitative criteria such as discussion of treatment goals, assessment of patient psychosocial status, end-of-life care and pain management.

In closing, ASCO CEO Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, said: “We believe this program will help physician teams provide optimal care in an ever-evolving and challenging patient care environment. The program focuses on the most important factor, the patient. It provides a medical service focus while helping teams deliver high quality medical care through continuous quality improvement.”

For more information, please visit the ASCO Certified website.