8 DECEMBER - JANUARYIN MY OPINIONSystems to Promote Patient-Centric Care in Oncology & Beyond By Roshni Bag, Regional Service Line Leader, Oncology & Spine Service Lines, Indiana University HealthCancer care must be patient-centric. Not only does patient-centric care drive better health outcomes, but it also promotes more effective and ethical healthcare. Implementing intentional systems that prioritize an individual's needs and well-being is essential to fostering patient-centric care in oncology, and the following strategies can be considered and applied to other service lines as well: Empowerment in Decision-Making: Cancer centers empower their patients to take an active role in participating in healthcare decisions through the implementation of personalized treatment plans, which allows the patient's lifestyle factors and individual preferences to be considered. This ultimately impacts patient compliance positively during treatment. Patients should also be encouraged to use patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessments to allow their care teams to provide ongoing monitoring of health metrics and make necessary changes to interventions. In addition to these tools, centers should ensure there is an underlying culture of dignity and respect for autonomy in decision-making for the patient. A tactic introduced in one of our medical oncology clinics was for the last team member leaving the patient's room to pause and ask, "Before I leave, are you comfortable with today's plan?" This small gesture helped create intentional space to uncover and address residual concerns that could then be followed up with by the Roshni Bag
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