By: Eric Hoffman

Annual statistics recently released by the American Cancer Society showing the largest single-year drop in cancer deaths is evidence that the knowledge explosion in oncology is making a difference.

Beside the decline in smoking, advancements in treatments are largely responsible for this decline. In fact, there were more than 100 new FDA approvals in oncology over the last two years. And with CAR-T, immunotherapies and biosimilars, the pace of therapeutic development shows no signs of slowing.

And while this is incredibly welcomed news for patients, it also highlights a challenge directly confronting OneOncology: How can we foster communication between oncologists to keep up with the pace of therapeutic innovation?  

As a connected network of oncology practices dedicated to improving the lives of everyone living with cancer, solving for this challenge is imperative. That's why we launched OneCommunity – a clinical communication platform that connects and engages medical oncologists and other experts throughout our network to examine medical cases, weigh in on real-time questions, share information and resources, and identify potential clinical trials. OneCommunity provides medical oncologists and other oncology experts access to a community of over 250 colleagues. 

While traditional tumor boards typically occur monthly and grand rounds address a chosen topic, virtual tumor boards deliver on flexibility since they aren’t bound by time or subject. Virtual tumor boards allow providers within our network to collaborate with disease-specific experts and other physicians who may have cared for a similar case in order to provide insights, expertise, and resources.

In OneCommunity’s first two months, we’ve had 31 virtual tumor boards addressing complex cases around lung, colorectal, breast, and other cancers. Posting physicians are able to get input from multiple colleagues within a short period of time. For some cases, we have had over 4,000 interactions from within our network and a spirited discussion of treatment options.

As OneCommunity continues to grow with more medical and radiation oncologist engagement, we are expanding the platform’s capabilities by including molecular tumor boards, value-based care education, and a comprehensive library of expert reference material. Other focus areas will include clinical pathways, precision oncology and supportive care.

Given the wealth of data at our fingertips today, OneCommunity offers medical oncologists tailored, curated expert views within 24 to 48 hours at the point of care regardless of location and time.

What’s our goal for OneCommunity? Make it easier for our providers to access leading expert opinions and the latest information to provide the highest quality care.