The central premise of the Cancer
Care Patient Values Manifesto is that people with cancer and their clinical care teams have a fundamental right to relationships rooted in mutual respect, where communication is open and culturally competent, plain language information is exchanged, goals are shared and patients' priorities are acknowledged throughout the continuum of care.
Treatment plans should reflect a shared understanding of the patients' goals and personal priorities, while including physicians' judgments that optimize treatment for the individual and their family. Equally important is a shared understanding that the physical, emotional and financial consequences of a cancer diagnosis and its treatment can be felt by patients and families for years to come.
Historically, an uneven balance of power between people with cancer and their physicians has limited the two-way flow of information and made it difficult for patients and caregivers to partner with their physicians in making informed treatment decisions. Though this dynamic has started to shift in recent years, there is the need for more widespread adoption of patient-centric care models, where care is delivered that is meaningful and appropriate to the individual patient's circumstances and goals.
The manifesto includes a roadmap to support Cancer
Care's Patient Values Initiative:
- Establish a relational partnership that fosters shared decision making where patients and physicians acknowledge their responsibility to contribute to the treatment plan
- Recognize that the patient experience is fluid and patients' priorities may shift
- Create an environment that fosters trust and mutual respect through plain language information exchange and culturally competent care tailored to the needs of patients and families
The manifesto builds on a body of research led by the PVI and its Advisory Board of experts from across the oncology community.