A study co-authored by Department of Radiology faculty and members of the interventional oncology (IO) team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be a key discussion point at the Advisory Board’s Oncology Roundtable meetings beginning in April.
The study, “Procedural Impact of a Dedicated Interventional Oncology Service Line in a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center,” determined a dedicated IO clinical service at an academic medical center significantly increases clinic visits and procedural outcomes.
Mary Ellen Koran, M.D., Ph.D., graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Medical Scientist Training Program and first author of the study, received funding from the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research to compare data prior to and one year following the implementation of the IO service line with national trends using a five percent Medicare sample. Data identified that national trends remained unchanged in the first year of the program, which indicated that the significant impact of the IO service line in the cancer center was not the result of a national increase in IO procedures.
“There has been a growing role for interventional oncology in overall cancer care,” said Daniel Brown, M.D., FSIR, IO Section Chief and Director of IO at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “The program’s growth in its first year was substantial and we published the outcome in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. We believe our approach can serve as a model for other organizations looking to grow their IO practice.”
Dr. Brown says the study garnered attention and interest from various organizations including the Advisory Board, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the outcomes of health care organizations through research, technology and consulting. The Advisory Board’s Oncology Roundtable meetings will highlight the study as part of its discussion on the future of interventional oncology. Meetings will take place April through November in seven cities across the country, and are free to Oncology Roundtable members.
Procedure volumes increased nearly 300 percent between the two time periods of the study.
