Clinical Care Options® Releases Report on Critical Practice Gaps in Care of Metastatic Breast Cancer

RESTON, Va., June 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Clinical Care Options (CCO), the leading provider of clinical educational content and technological learning platforms, along with its partners, the Annenberg Center for the Health Sciences at Eisenhower, M Consulting, and Thistle Editorial, announced today key findings from a national educational needs assessment on clinical practices for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The study, supported by an unrestricted grant from Pfizer, was designed to measure professional practice gaps and barriers to optimal care among medical oncologists across the United States. Conducted between October 2014 and February 2015, the study included a mixed-methods approach featuring online surveys and telephone interviews and highlighted a widespread need for education and for interventions to raise awareness of the need for education on treatment options across professional roles and provider types despite practice settings/years of experience, or patient volume.

The study analysis suggests that there are extensive clinical practice and performance gaps among US-based oncologists and other oncology-focused clinicians involved in the management of patients with metastatic breast cancer in both academic and community settings. Subgroup analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data revealed that clinicians across all provider types and practice settings face patient management challenges that would likely benefit from education. The study also provides evidence that point-of-care clinical tools, educational programs, and performance improvement interventions can positively affect those gaps.

"CCO is proud to have been part of this collaboration and pleased to share the findings of this important study with both the medical community and the continuing education community at large," said Jeffrey Drezner, MD, PhD, Managing Director, CCO. "As part of our ongoing commitment to improving patient outcomes, we strive to assess educational needs and create innovative CME that directly address identified clinical practice challenges."

"It was a privilege for the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences to collaborate with CCO, M Consulting, and Thistle Editorial on this assessment," said Michael Hite, President and CEO, the Annenberg Center for the Health Sciences. "Together, our organizations are working to support medical oncologists in the continuing improvement of their clinical practice."

For in-depth information on this study, please see the full report on the CCO Web site.

About Clinical Care Options
Clinical Care Options is a global leader in the development of innovative educational technology platform that integrates all levels of medical education and information with personalization of the clinician's experience and the integration of moderated social media. CCO has been a pioneer in the creation of continuing education and decision support resources for healthcare professionals. For more information, visit clinicaloptions.com.

About the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower
The Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower is a unique 501(c) 3 educational institution that was founded through a gracious donation of the late Honorable Walter H. Annenberg. The Center has a dual mission: (1) to service the professional development needs of the medical staff at Eisenhower and clinicians throughout the world and (2) to serve as a forum where leaders in education, medicine, government, and industry gather to contemplate future issues in healthcare and medicine. For more information, visit annenberg.net.

SOURCE Clinical Care Options

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