OncoPRO: A US national initiative supporting implementation of remote symptom monitoring with electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) in oncology practices.

Abstract

11138 Background: Remote symptom monitoring using electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) results in improved symptom management, communication, quality of life, and in some cases survival. Furthermore, value-based cancer care models such as the CMS Enhancing Oncology Model are increasingly supporting or requiring remote symptom monitoring. However, implementation at scale in real-world settings remains challenging for practices. Methods: OncoPRO is a national initiative in the United States that supports oncology practices and health systems in the implementation and sustainability of remote symptom monitoring programs using ePROs, integrated with electronic health record systems. OncoPRO is funded by the Patent-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and is led by operational groups at the University of North Carolina and the University of Alabama, in partnership with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the PROTEUS Consortium, with observers from federal agencies. Results: OncoPRO was initiated in March 2024, with 15 large U.S. practices/health systems participating, as well as two national practice networks, four EHR software companies, four ePRO software companies, and observers from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration. The central activities of OncoPRO encompass co-learning collaborative monthly meetings where leaders from each practice in clinical care, information systems, and value-based care convene to review progress, barriers and strategies for implementation, billing tactics, and other guidance. Practices share data dashboards on implementation, discuss challenges they face, and exchange success stories under the facilitation of ASCO coaches. Support materials and standard operating processes are shared by the operational team, ACS, and software vendors. Additional practices are joining the initiative both within the US and internationally. A goal is to demonstrate that implementation of remote symptom monitoring with ePROs is feasible on a wide basis and leads to improved operational and clinical outcomes. Conclusions: The OncoPRO initiative is supporting practices, including both community and academic, in implementing remote symptom monitoring using ePROs through a learning collaborative that is anticipated to be of interest to others considering ePRO implementation.