Examining Access to Nutrition Care in Outpatient Cancer Centers

An estimated 90 percent of oncology patients in the United States receive treatment in outpatient cancer centers and clinics. This change from the older model of inpatient care has important implications for overall quality of care for oncology patients and nutritional care in particular. Amidst growing concern about access to oncology nutrition services, combined with growing recognition of the importance of providing nutritional care to optimize oncology treatment outcomes and maximize quality of life among both patients and survivors of cancer, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a public workshop in March 2016 to explore evolving interactions between nutritional care, cancer, and health outcomes.

Participants explored how health outcomes and survival of cancer patients in outpatient cancer centers are affected by current standards for nutritional services, nutritional interventions, and benefits associated with oncology patient access to medical nutrition therapy. They also studied the cost of outpatient nutritional care and assessed cost-benefit relationships between oncology nutrition services and health outcomes and survival. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ASSESSING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ACCESS TO STANDARDIZED CARE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF CARE IN OUTPATIENT CANCER CENTERS
• Reviewers
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction
  • ORGANIZATION OF THIS PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP
  • KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
  • SPONSOR PANEL
• 2. Current Knowledge and Status of Nutrition Practices in Oncology Outpatient Care
  • OVERVIEW
  • NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS AND ISSUES IN EARLY ONCOLOGY TREATMENT
  • NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS AND ISSUES IN LONG-TERM ONCOLOGY CARE
  • PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPEAKERS: DATA GAPS IN CURRENT NUTRITION PRACTICE IN ONCOLOGY OUTPATIENT CARE
• 3. Models of Care: National and International Perspectives
  • OVERVIEW
  • MODELS OF NUTRITION CARE IN OUTPATIENT ONCOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES AND BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING IDEAL CARE
  • NUTRITION CARE FOR ONCOLOGY OUTPATIENTS: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
  • A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
  • PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPEAKERS: DATA GAPS IN MODELS OF CARE
• 4. Benefits and Costs of Care
  • OVERVIEW
  • COST–BENEFIT CONSIDERATIONS
  • PERSPECTIVES ON ONCOLOGY NUTRITION CARE: EMPLOYERS AND OTHER PURCHASERS
  • PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPEAKERS: DATA GAPS IN OUTCOMES AND COSTS OF CARE
• 5. Dissemination and Implementation: Reaching the Ideal
  • OVERVIEW
  • DISSEMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NUTRITIONAL CARE IN ACUTE CARE AND SPECIALIZED CENTERS
  • DISSEMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NUTRITIONAL CARE IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS
  • DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR NUTRITION IN CANCER PATIENTS
  • PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPEAKERS: DATA GAPS IN COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF ONCOLOGY CARE
• 6. Evidence on Nutrition Care in Outpatient Oncology: Closing Discussion
  • OVERVIEW
  • TACKLING THE CONTINUUM OF CARE
  • INCORPORATING NUTRITION STUDIES INTO DRUG CLINICAL TRIALS
  • DETERMINING THE VALUE OF NUTRITION SERVICES
  • CHAIR'S SUMMARY
• References
• APPENDIXES
  • Appendix A. Workshop Agenda
  • Appendix B. Biographical Sketches of Speakers and Moderators
  • Appendix C. Additional References Used by the Planning Committee to Develop the Workshop

Rapporteurs: Leslie Pray and Ann L. Yaktine.

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Examining access to nutrition care in outpatient cancer centers: Proceedings of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23579.