NCCN Cancer Study Demonstrates Usability of Health Equity Report Card

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) presented preliminary data from a study evaluating the usability of the Health Equity Report Card (HERC) tool during the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo. The HERC was created by the Elevating Cancer Equity collaboration between NCCN, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) and updated by a subsequent working group. It features 19 practice evaluation and change recommendations designed to help providers and healthcare organizations identify and address disparity and bias in care delivery, address social determinants of health, and overcome systemic barriers to optimal care.

“Studies clearly show that unequal experiences and opportunities in cancer care result in worse outcomes and shorter life-expectancies for people in underserved communities,” stated Taneal D. Carter, MS, MPA, Manager, NCCN Cancer Care Equity Program. “The HERC was initially designed as an objective approach to increase equity in cancer care through attainable and measurable change. This initial pilot study data illustrates just how attainable these goals really are. We are proud to announce that every participating site reported HERC implementation would either inform or reinforce necessary changes in institutional practices and processes.”

The Health Equity Report Card (HERC) measures care systems’ equitable practices across 4 domains:

• Community Engagement
• Accessibility of Care and Social Determinants of Health
• Addressing Bias in Care Delivery
• Quality and Comprehensiveness of Care

The pilot study focused on gathering feedback from five leading academic cancer centers, to gauge the feasibility and usability of the HERC tool. Pre-implementation surveys showed that three of the five cancer centers anticipated challenges in implementing the tool, but all five centers successfully completed a first round of self- and third-party scoring across all domains. Every site strongly agreed or agreed that HERC performance measures, metrics, and sources of evidence were applicable to their institution.

“These preliminary findings demonstrate the HERC’s usability and underscore its potential as a transformative tool for measuring and improving equity in cancer care,” said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “We are happy to be able to share this initial data, showcasing how participating sites found the HERC’s performance measures to be relevant to their institutions. We look forward to additional analysis of the data and ongoing feedback to further improve the utility of this tool.”

An article with full results following the first round of scoring—including a subsequent score and improved scorecard—will be publishing in the coming months. Additional evaluation is underway into the HERC’s scoring, feedback mechanisms, and impact on cancer care, including a separate pilot project conducted in the community cancer center setting.