The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), The U.S. Oncology Network and McKesson Specialty Health have inked agreements to provide future integration with Elekta and Varian that will enhance the ability to provide cancer patients with evidence-based quality care. The two oncology information systems are Elekta’s MOSAIQ and Varian’s ARIA.

Value Pathways Powered by NCCN, which are incorporated into the Clear Value Plus software, will expand next year to include radiation oncology. These clinical practice guidelines are jointly developed by McKesson Specialty Health, The U.S. Oncology Network and NCCN to consider efficacy and cost when evaluating treatment options in radiation oncology, building upon the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) and The U.S. Oncology Network’s Level I Pathways.

Clear Value Plus, a clinical quality and regimen support system, allows physicians to access transparent, evidence-based clinical content at the point of care. It is fully embedded into McKesson Specialty Health’s iKnowMed Generation 2^SM EHR and will be integrated with MOSAIQ and ARIA. The agreements to integrate the Elekta and Varian oncology information systems with the Clear Value Plus platform in an open, standards-based integration of technology will provide physicians with access to quality support and reporting solutions, as well as Value Pathways treatment options. Through Value Pathways, physicians can gain access to national best practices for optimal patient care and value-based outcomes that are grounded in clinical evidence and the NCCN Guidelines.

The expansion of Value Pathways to include radiation oncology pathways makes these agreements to integrate with Elekta and Varian especially timely. Given the increasing complexity of cancer care and number of radiation treatment options, radiation oncology pathways can be integral in keeping oncologists informed of new developments that may contribute to optimal outcomes.

Robert W. Carlson, M.D., chief executive officer of NCCN, said, “Patient outcomes hinge on the availability of consistent, evidence-based guidance. We see radiation oncology pathways as a needed extension of our NCCN Guidelines, which are widely accepted among providers and payers alike.”