Irving-based healthcare services giant McKesson has launched what it calls “a transformative initiative” to address clinical challenges and administrative burdens that medical practices face in this new era of biomarker-directed oncology care.
The company said it recognizes the critical role genomic testing and targeted therapies play today in providing high-quality cancer treatment, and the initiative is a response. Precision Care Companion (PCC) is a consortium of industry experts, led by McKesson, designed to help healthcare practices improve patient care. The consortium does that via a multifaceted approach that includes providing targeted education, technology enhancements, operational best practices, and detailed analytics on biomarker testing rates for different cancer diagnoses.
“In the rapidly evolving field of biomarker testing, staying current with the latest science and treatment guidelines for each cancer can be challenging and time-consuming for providers and clinical staff,” Marcus Neubauer, MD, chief medical officer for The US Oncology Network, said in a statement. “PCC empowers providers to efficiently order comprehensive genomic testing and receive results directly into the workflow, enabling them to prescribe the most effective targeted therapies to achieve optimal outcomes.”
McKesson said that PCC empowers providers to efficiently order comprehensive genomic testing and receive results directly into the workflow, enabling them to prescribe the most effective targeted therapies to achieve optimal outcomes.
The consortium model was chosen for its ability to unite diverse perspectives—physicians, clinicians, industry partners, and business leaders—creating a collaborative environment that drives innovation, uncovers real-world clinical challenges, and accelerates the adoption of precision technologies and therapies, the company said.
McKesson said that with this innovative approach, it’s pioneering a new era in personalized cancer treatment, enhancing the adoption of targeted therapies, and improving patient outcomes across community oncology.
How it works
PCC is being deployed across The US Oncology Network, which supports more than 2,750 independent, community-based providers.
McKesson said this implementation allows the PCC team to support each step of the patient care journey—from test ordering and results review to guideline-informed targeted therapy decisions—and collate analytics and best practices to share across participating practices, driving continuous improvement in precision oncology.
Along with enabling enhanced clinical decision support within Ontada’s iKnowMedSM electronic health record (EHR), an important focus of the program is to provide meaningful education and support to practices in a format that works best for them.
McKesson said that all PCC participants have access to a robust range of educational and consultative services to meet their specific needs. Those offerings include monthly master class webinars, a precision medicine boot camp, a molecular helpline for urgent questions about a specific patient’s biomarker test results, and lab-agnostic molecular tumor boards.
“Precision Care Companion isn’t just another program—it’s a testament to McKesson’s unwavering commitment to advance community oncology so providers can efficiently offer targeted, personalized cancer care while keeping patients close to home,” Jason Hammonds, COO of Oncology & Specialty for McKesson, said in a statement. “From accelerating the clinical development of new treatments to empowering practices with cutting-edge technology and real-world evidence that helps them to improve health outcomes, our work continues to elevate cancer care.”
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