The urgent international push to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus represents an unprecedented effort, said experts at the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care’s final summer webinar on COVID-19 and cancer care, which was held August 27

Leading global drug manufacturers have been called on to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in a myriad of ways; several of their executives discussed those responses in a mid-August webcast from the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Patients with cancer and cancer treatment dynamics continue to bounce back toward baseline as of late summer 2020, reported experts at the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care August 20 webcast, which focused on economic trends in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the practical implications of a flurry of recent healthcare-related actions taken by Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the White House? In summary, “Some can happen, some will take significant effort, but most are just political grandstanding as we get closer to the election,” said Jayson Slotnik, JD, MPH, Partner, Health Policy Strategies, Bethesda, MD, and moderator of the mid-August webcast from the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant barriers to care, which can lead to increased mortality rates for thousands of patients with cancer. Nurses and nurse navigators are focused on using their skills and experience to combat this trend. Ongoing efforts include educating patients on the importance of undergoing cancer screenings, utilizing telehealth services to enhance communication with patients, addressing staffing shortages, and taking the necessary steps for preparing for potential spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Community oncology practices say they are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping their eye on the goal of value-based care. The strategies they are using to accomplish these initiatives include innovation, long-term integration of telehealth, and the leveraging of advanced practice professionals.

It is a Herculean effort to develop a novel vaccine on an unprecedented timeline. Experts discuss the latest research regarding the development of vaccine candidates for the COVID-19 virus and some of the issues that will need to be addressed when a successful candidate has been identified, including clinical trial enrollment, manufacturing, and distribution.

Can the use of telehealth services help to address the upcoming burden of late cancer diagnoses, improve the co-management of chronic conditions, and give patients more power over their own health? During a recent AVBCC webinar, a panel of experts explored this question as they discussed the potential role of wearables, remote monitoring and communication, and other innovative technology for improving care for patients with cancer.

From the management of extended payment terms and performance-based agreements, to the potential impact of the proposed 2021 Medicare rules and the impending shortages of immune globulin, wholesale suppliers discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the oncology supply chain, what is being done to help practices, and what challenges lie ahead.

Although several of the financial indicators in oncology have recovered to pre-pandemic levels following dramatic declines that occurred earlier in the year, there are still significant challenges ahead. How will providers manage the backlog? What will happen to patients’ insurance coverage? How will oncology practices survive and thrive in a post–COVID-19 world?