CPS Background and Project Goal

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) standards have established the foundation and framework for the coordinated, multidisciplinary delivery of cancer care, and the majority of organized cancer care provided in the United States is based on this framework.

The standards and survey processes have routinely been reviewed and revised every five to seven years in an effort to remain relevant and to reflect current cancer care practices. The standards have historically focused on structure and some process; however, outcomes are emerging as an area that requires more focus and integration within the standards.

The Commission has been responsive to participating programs and member organizations when issues relative to difficulty with standards’ compliance or issues regarding changes in cancer care have been identified. This responsiveness and flexibility have allowed the Commission to respond to key constituent groups by listening to concerns and affecting change.

Released in 2005, the Cancer Program Profile Reports (CP³R) assess the quality of care for specific cases of breast, colon, and rectal cancers using standard of care measures. The integration of the CP³R discussion and evaluation of program data at the time of survey have served as the Commission’s entry into outcomes assessment. The most recent iteration of the CP³R has allowed the Commission to engage in a discussion about specific strategies being implemented that demonstrate facility commitment to improvement and the provision of high quality cancer care.

The goals of the Cancer Program Standards (CPS) 2011 project are to

• modify the current standards to eliminate duplication, establish clear definitions, and define a measurement for each standard
• create new standards that focus on improving care for the cancer patient
• enhance the survey application process and coordinate changes for the reporting of survey results
• delineate plans to expand participation in the Accreditation Program

CPS 2011 Steering Committee

The CPS 2011 Steering Committee includes a broad representation from all disciplines and organizations committed to improving cancer patient care. Click here to see a list of Steering Committee members (25K PDF).

Working with the CoC Accreditation Committee, the Steering Committee is responsible for project oversight. The Steering Committee’s mission is to

• ensure that CoC accreditation remains valuable to institutions, providers, quality improvement organizations, and the public
• ensure the applicability of structure-related standards
• enhance process and outcome standards

CPS 2011 Project Workgroups

Five workgroups were established to address logical clusters of standards that cover a variety of the chapters in the existing manual. Steering Committee members, CoC members, field staff surveyors, and State Chairs were invited to serve on one or more of the workgroups that were addressing standards in their area of expertise or interest.

The workgroups are:

• Cancer Committee Activities and Administrative Issues (10K PDF)
• Category and Eligibility (10K PDF)
• Clinical Management (10K PDF)
• Outcomes Workgroup (10K PDF)
• Registry Operations Workgroup (10K PDF)

Our goal is to engage our community of CoC-accredited programs in the development process for the 2011 standards, and we have developed a format for ongoing constituent feedback. We encourage cancer program staff to regularly access the CPS 2011 wiki page, where you can review and comment on proposed changes and new standards. New postings will be communicated via e-mail to the cancer committee chairs, cancer liaison physicians, cancer program administrators, and cancer registrars in both CoC-accredited facilities and those working to gain accreditation.

 

Revised December 8, 2009

 

Commission on Cancer