The MobiHealthNews article titled “Q&A: The status of the White House-led CancerX initiative” provides an update on the CancerX initiative, part of the Cancer Moonshot program launched by Joe Biden.
Key points from the article include:
- Current State of CancerX: Jennifer Goldsack, CEO of the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), which cohosts CancerX with Moffitt Cancer Center, describes the initiative as progressing rapidly. They have announced plans and inaugural members, and are focusing on using digital technologies to address financial toxicity and equity issues in cancer care and research.
- Projects and Partnerships: CancerX is working on a data sprint in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). This includes a payment pilot where claims data will be delivered via a FHIR API, aiming to create datasets that can power future cancer research. The findings will be announced at ONC’s annual meeting.
- Focus Areas and Future Plans: The initiative is set to announce focus areas for its inaugural accelerator, which will foster development in five topic areas. They are also exploring new care models that combine clinical decision support with virtual-first care approaches and digitally enabled navigation, aiming to reimagine cancer care post-diagnosis.
- Addressing Inequities: The initiative is particularly focused on reducing cancer care inequities and leveraging technology to enhance patient navigation. Goldsack highlights the potential of digital solutions to address equity issues in cancer care, which are more pronounced than in other therapeutic areas.
- Value of Public-Private Partnerships: The article emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in the CancerX initiative, particularly in the context of COVID-19. These partnerships allow for leveraging government initiatives with industry best practices to create valuable, reusable datasets for cancer research and care improvement.
Overall, the CancerX initiative under the Cancer Moonshot program is making significant strides in harnessing digital innovation to improve cancer care, with a strong focus on equity and the efficient use of data.