Our proven treatment options give our oncologists scientifically proven guidelines for providing the right treatment at the right time. The overall complexity of cancer and the accelerated development of new technologies and treatments for cancer patients demand constantly updated treatment guidelines.
Recognizing this, The US Oncology Network has developed a comprehensive program to provide physicians throughout The Network with up-to-date, evidenced-based treatment guidelines for their patients. Teams of nationally recognized, disease-specific oncologists and cancer-care experts develop and update these guidelines to ensure that the latest science and research discoveries are incorporated into patient treatment plans.
What Is Evidence-Based Medicine?
Evidence-based medicine is a standard of care that relies on the best scientific evidence to define the treatment options that are the most reliably effective for any given disease.
Evidence-Based Guidelines
Doctors define evidence-based guidelines by carefully examining as much scientific evidence as possible — typically the results of clinical trials — about various treatment options. They compare the evidence to determine which option (or options) consistently produces the best results for patients. That option or set of options then becomes a guideline or standard pathway for treating a particular disease.
Why Is Evidence-Based Medicine Good for Patients?
With evidence-based guidelines in place, doctors have proven treatment methods to work with in developing a particular patient’s care strategy. Additionally, employing evidence-based medicine in a network, such as The US Oncology Network, means we have a method in place for evaluating research results and continually updating our treatment guidelines.
Evidence-based medicine can also reduce healthcare costs by ensuring patients receive the most effective treatments from the start.
Evidence-Based Medicine in The US Oncology Network
Physicians in The US Oncology Network have worked together to develop evidence-based guidelines that we call Level I Pathways. Level I Pathways help guide care for all network doctors. Our pathways are subjected to rigorous ongoing review to keep them current. Additionally, as pathways are used to treat network patients, we track pathway effectiveness across the network to continuously improve them.
