Improving Patient Engagement, Equity, and Affordability in Clinical Pathways
Key Takeaways
- The keynote speaker at the Clinical Pathways Congress (CPC) 2026 emphasized the importance of oncology pathways that incorporate patient preferences, equity analyses, and individualized financial information alongside transparency and physician autonomy.
- Revenue cycle capabilities influence patient-specific cost estimates, and financial counseling and measurement of affordability-related treatment discontinuation were recommended.
- Integrating disease characteristics, laboratory results, and clinical trial opportunities into existing workflows may improve decision support and reduce pathway documentation burden.
Ed Rodgers delivered the keynote address at CPC 2026, which focused on the evolution of pathway programs and the factors influencing their function. He focused on how pathways need to pay greater attention to patient participation, affordability, and outcomes.
Adapting the ASCO Pathway Framework
Rodgers took the 9 recommendations in the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) 2016 pathway framework and categorized them into 3 pillars: development, implementation and use, and market policy. These pillars work together to emphasize transparency, physician autonomy, administrative efficiency, certification, and outcomes evaluation within pathways.
This framework also incorporates comprehensible explanations for patients, required equity analyses, and individualized financial information.
Payer Impact on Pathways
Estimating patient costs across different insurance arrangements depends on a practice’s revenue cycle capabilities, including digitized payer contracts, fee schedules, and calculations that incorporate patient-specific dosing and treatment schedules.
For example, Medicare provides a publicly available comparison standard, while commercial contracts remain private, highlighting the importance of patient education and financial counseling before therapy initiation.
Implications for Oncology Care
The proposed framework would consider patient preferences, access barriers, and anticipated expenses in treatment decisions. Rodgers recommended measuring financial toxicity as an outcome as well, including how treatment discontinuation relates to affordability.
Decision support that presents disease characteristics, laboratory results, and trial opportunities within existing workflows may improve usability and reduce the documentation burden associated with pathway reporting.
Conclusion
The keynote address emphasized linking oncology pathways to transparent decisions, patient affordability, and measurable outcomes. Priorities included revised performance measures, broader support across the cancer care continuum, and improved collaboration among providers, payers, and pathway developers.
Reference
Rodgers E. Oncology clinical pathways: where we've been, where we are, what’s next? Presented at: Clinical Pathways Congress; November 10-11, 2026; Boston, MA.
