Oncology Ventures: Cancer Care Impact on Star Ratings + Comedy
Investing in healthcare data startups that enhance cancer care and research.
Oncology Ventures Portfolio Company Updates
Concr (Tech platform to bring precision medicine to cancer)
Announces their first patients have been recruited to VISION, an observational study aimed at transforming the treatment of early triple-negative breast cancer
Gabbi (Early detection for breast cancer)
Congratulations on closing its first health plan partner, Moda
Ignite Data (Efficient EHR to EDC data transfer)
Zach Taft, CEO, shares the challenges and market needs for interoperability between EHR and EDC systems in this well-done interview
Reimagine Care (Comprehensive cancer care management outside of the clinic)
Impact report shares that Reimagine Care resolves 93% of symptom concerns virtually (enabling patients to stay out of the Emergency Department) and sees 89% patient engagement after 30 days
How cancer care affects Star Ratings and HEDIS Measures
Brief Overview:
Star Ratings: Managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate Medicare Advantage and Part D plans
Scoring is based on patient outcomes, service experience and utilization metrics
Higher ratings result in increased bonus payments and reimbursement rates
Scores range from 1 to 5, offering a clear comparison of plan quality for consumers
HEDIS Measures: Developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), focused on assessing healthcare quality
Covers preventive care, chronic disease management and adherence to clinical guidelines
Note that the Star Ratings system often incorporates HEDIS measures to assess how well health plans perform in delivering high-quality care
Improving cancer screening is a core tenet of both Star and HEDIS:
Breast cancer: Mammograms for women aged 50-74 (Note that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently advised women start regular mammograms at 40 years old)
Cervical cancer: Pap smears or HPV testing for women aged 21-64
Colorectal cancer: Screenings (e.g., colonoscopy) for adults aged 50-75
Lung cancer: Added to HEDIS in 2020 for adults aged 50-80 with a smoking history. Screening best practice is a low-dose lung CT scan. Note that Star Ratings do not currently include a specific lung cancer screening measure
Star Ratings focus for cancer:
Treatment access, measuring how quickly treatment begins after diagnosis
Patient satisfaction and experience, focused on overall care quality and provider communication
Care coordination, particularly among different healthcare providers involved in a patient’s cancer treatment
End-of-life care, including hospice and palliative care
HEDIS focus for cancer:
Clinical performance, particularly adherence to screening guidelines and overall clinical care
Pain management throughout treatment and care follow-up
Summary:
Star Ratings affect financial incentives and help consumers compare Medicare plans, where HEDIS measures are used for quality benchmarking and improvement within health plans
To improve your scores through better cancer care, focus on screening (early detection for cancer), providing timely + coordinated access to care, and following treatment guidelines
Comedy!
I hope this newsletter gets to you all. Substack had a firewall keep popping up saying “Warning, you work in Venture Capital, and it’s July. Are you sure you want to do something productive?”
Last month’s quick cancer comedy line should hold everyone over for a while. I’ve already written 8 cancer bits across my newsletters. So, if I wrote one more, it’d benign. Despite the medical puns, I am still not a doctor.
In the world of start-ups and sales, closing the loop is important. It’s everything. There’s no feeling like circling back with Bob to close the loop on an open task. People need to close loops. It’s how we get a rush while typing away on a laptop. It’s like we’re kids in pre-school again. Stacey… did you close your loops today? Do you ever feel the corporate world is just a bunch of slightly older kids with e-mail signatures?
I wish there was an app to help close the loop with other people in your life. Like when you have an all-star Uber driver who made it their life’s mission to get you to your flight on time. I know he can’t sleep that night thinking about whether or not he made it happen. I want to be able to ping him saying hey bud, we did it. You’re a hero.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and close some loops, you’ll feel accomplished.
Asks
If you ever see “cancer” and “data” together in a start-up deck or article, please continue to send our way.
If you have hosted or attended a Limited Partner event, what is your top recommendation for something we should do at our event this fall?