Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois Recertified for Cancer Care from Largest Oncology Society in United States
Feb. 23, 2016
Decatur, IL – Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois at the Cancer Care Center of Decatur has received reaccreditation by the QOPI Certification Program (QCP™), an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). QCP builds on ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®), providing a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.
“It’s an honor to receive QOPI certification and we’re proud to be recertified. This is a major team effort and requires a lot of hard work. Our physicians, nurses and pharmacy work together daily to achieve these oncology standards for our patients. It’s great to be recognized on a national level and we’ll continue to work hard each day to provide quality care for all of our patients.” – Perry P. Guaglianone, MD, FACP, QOPI Physician Liaison for Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois.
Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois first achieved certification in September 2012. In applying for recertification, Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois participated in a voluntary comprehensive site assessment against clearly specified standards that are consistent with national guidelines and was successful in meeting the standards and objectives of QCP.
“Practices that achieve recertification continue to show their strong dedication to providing patients with high quality cancer care,” said ASCO President Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, FASCO. “The QOPI Certification Program assists practices in maintaining quality and safety excellence by providing assessment measures and information for continual quality improvement.”
QOPI is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients. Through the QOPI program, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database.
The QCP was launched in January 2010, with more than 250 practices already certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States. Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois has achieved certification by participating in a comprehensive site assessment against vigorous standards consistent with national guidelines. The QCP seal designates those practices that not only scored above the threshold on the key QOPI quality measures, but met chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).
Background information about QOPI®:
QOPI® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 160 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices. Individual practices are also able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country. Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.
To become certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QCP staff and steering group members then verify through on-site inspection that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
- treatment planning;
- staff training and education;
- chemotherapy orders and drug preparation;
- patient consent and education;
- safe chemotherapy administration;
- monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.
QOPI and the QCP are projects dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit:https://practice.asco.org/quality-improvement/quality-programs/quality-oncology-practice-initiative.
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About ASCO:
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 35,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net.
About QOPI Certification Program LLC
QOPI Certification Program LLC is an ASCO affiliate dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs for ASCO members and their patients and is committed to providing oncologists with the necessary resources to provide every patient with high-level cancer care.