As the collective voice for professionals working to improve
cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, ASCO offers membership
to individuals in oncology-related professions, including
physicians, oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, physician
assistants, practice management professionals, researchers, and
other health specialists. ASCO's programs, products, and services
are specifically designed with this wide array of professionals in
mind.
Examples of Member Benefits
- Scientific Exchange and Networking- ASCO's
meetings, publications, and programs offer ways for members to stay
connected and learn from each other, fostering the
multidisciplinary approach so essential in cancer prevention,
treatment, and research. ASCO meetings are prime examples of
opportunities offered for interdisciplinary learning and
networking, but ASCO also offers nonmeeting opportunities to
exchange information and network with other professionals. An
example? The Oncology EHR social networking site
(ehr.ascoexchange.org) serves as a platform for oncologists and
different vendors of electronic health records (EHR) to discuss the
advancements, usability, and challenges that emerge in using EHR in
oncology offices. In addition to blogging, users can build up their
personal profile page and incorporate widgets and RSS feeds on
their page as well.
- Practice Improvement and Efficiency- ASCO
offers many publications and tools to enhance the efficiency of
health-care delivery and support practice management activities.
For example, ASCO's Coding & Reimbursement Services offer ASCO
members help in navigating oncology-related coding, billing, and
reimbursement questions. The service is an ASCO member benefit and
provided free of charge to ASCO members and their
practices.
- Improving Quality of Care- ASCO's Quality
Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) is one of ASCO's member
benefits that specifically targets its mission to improve cancer
care. A self-evaluation and improvement program, QOPI features a
national data collection program that gives participating practices
information to compare their performance with those of peers and
nationally recognized practice guidelines. The new QOPI
Certification Program builds on the success of QOPI to meet
oncologists' evolving needs. This voluntary program provides
practices with additional quality improvement targets, as well as a
demonstrable designation of achievement on oncologist-approved
quality measures.
- Education- ASCO meetings, educational tools,
and publications provide education in every aspect of cancer
research, prevention, and care. Members receive significant
discounts when registering for meetings or purchasing ASCO
products.
- Advocacy- ASCO makes sure the interest of
patients with cancer, cancer researchers, and cancer care providers
are heard by policymakers and the public. ASCO submits testimony to
Congress, urges members of Congress to act on key issues, and
provides comments on proposed regulations, such as those of the FDA
or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. As an example
of ASCO's advocacy efforts, in May ASCO representatives met with
members of Congress to support $35.2 billion in funding for the
National Institutes of Health in the next fiscal year.
- Patient Education- In addition to providing
doctor-approved cancer information directly to patients via the
Internet, ASCO's patient information website, Cancer.Net, provides
booklets, fact sheets, and other materials in English and Spanish
to help patients learn about their diagnosis. One of the newest
publications is the booklet Managing the Cost of Cancer Care, which
gives practical tips on financial planning before, during, and
after treatment. Oncology providers can feel confident that their
patients are receiving current, oncologist-approved information.
Members can order these materials for a reduced rate by visiting
www.cancer.net.
Over 28,000 oncology professionals worldwide take advantage of
member benefits such as these. To learn more about member benefits,
visit benefits.asco.org; to join, go to www.asco.org and click on
"Join ASCO." ■
© 2010. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All Rights
Reserved.
