Oncology groups focus patient-reported outcomes to optimize care

The Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium plans to use a mobile-based application to help with quality reporting initiatives in the state.

MOQC, a group of medical and gynecologic oncology practices collaborating to improve cancer care quality, has selected a vendor to help develop quality measures, manage patient symptoms and capture patient reported outcomes from 19 cancer treatment centers across the state.


Henry Ford Cancer Institute and Munson Medical Center in Michigan are the first two MOQC sites to select the Noona mobile application from Varian to assess and evaluate outcomes.

Since 2009, MOQC has collected and shared data with its practices to identify areas where care variation, under or over utilization of services, or opportunities to provide concordant care exist.

“Our unwavering mission is to offer the highest quality cancer care to patients across Michigan,” says Jennifer Griggs, MD, program director at MOQC. “The selection of Noona was based on the fact that it was the only oncology-specific program, has a patient-friendly interface and is customizable with a short turnaround time.” she adds.

Patients use the Noona cloud-based mobile application to collect a standardized dataset centered around each patient’s quality of life, which could include new or shifting symptoms that may compel a change in care.

Each patient is assigned a treatment module that aligns with their cancer type and enables them to self-report and track symptoms on a regular basis, while also being able to share questions and concerns immediately. Improved information capture supported with a platform has resulted in a 90 percent patient response rate for symptom questionnaires along with algorithms that prioritize patients by symptom severity.

“To make significant strides toward developing quality measures, we understand the value of hearing and responding to the patient’s voice before, during and after treatment,” Griggs says.

MOQC also is working with Varian to define a new oncology reimbursement model that will support better care for patients and improve their chances of survival. Patients are encouraged to regularly engage in each step of their treatment journey, including helping to support quality measurement.