Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois Re-Certified for High-Quality Cancer Care from Largest Oncology Society in United States
Decatur, Illinois – Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois has received re-certification by the QOPI® Certification Program LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®). The QOPI® Certification Program 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.
“We’re very proud of this re-certification from ASCO and QCP which emphasizes our commitment to providing high-quality care for our patients,” said James L. Wade III, MD, FACP, FASCO, president of Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois. “We were the first single specialty, interdisciplinary oncology group serving Central and Southern Illinois to be a QOPI certified practice. During the past year we expanded our QOPI program to all of our treatment clinics. Our physicians and staff continuously strive to provide the highest quality cancer care to our patients and we are honored to achieve this prestigious certification.”
Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois first achieved certification in September 2012. In applying for re-certification, 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 the QOPI® Certification Program. This is the second re-certification for Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois (CCSI) , but the first certification beyond Decatur for all of the CCSI cancer centers and clinics. CCSI is the only QOPI certified oncology delivery service in Illinois south of Interstate 70, including the St. Louis Metro East region.
“By choosing to go through and then successfully completing ASCO’s QOPI® Certification process, a practice demonstrates its dedication to providing high-quality care to patients with cancer,” said ASCO President Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO. “It is a concrete action a practice has taken to fully realize a commitment to quality, safety, and continual process 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 QOPI®, practices abstract data from patients’ records up to twice per year and enter this information into a secure database. More than 750 oncology practices have registered for QOPI®.
The QOPI® Certification Program was launched in January 2010, and nearly 300 practices are currently certified. This certification for outpatient oncology practices is the first program of its kind for oncology in the United States, and in 2016 the program was expanded internationally. The QOPI® Certification Program 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.
QOPI® analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 170 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. The information is then provided in reports to participating practices. Individual practices also are 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 QOPI® Certified, practices have to submit to an evaluation of their entire practice and documentation standards. The QOPI® Certification Program staff and task force members then verify through an on-site survey that the evaluation and documents are correct and that the practices met core standards in areas of treatment, including:
- Creating a safe environment—staffing, competencies, and general policy
- Treatment planning, patient consent, and education
- Ordering, preparing, dispensing, and administering chemotherapy
- Monitoring after chemotherapy is administered, including adherence, toxicity, and complications
- 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 QOPI® Certification Program are projects dedicated to innovative quality improvement programs. For more information, please visit: https://practice.asco.org/quality-improvement/quality-programs.
About ASCO
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world’s leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents nearly 45,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation supports the Society by funding groundbreaking research and education across cancer’s full continuum. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About QOPI Certification Program LLC
QOPI Certification Program LLC is a wholly own subsidiary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) affiliate dedicated to recognizing exemplary commitment to safety and quality in oncology patient care. Practices that have achieved QOPI® Certification have scored well on key QOPI® quality measures and have met chemotherapy safety standards established by ASCO and the Oncology Nursing Society in various areas of treatment and chemotherapy safety.
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