How Tumor Boards Help Cancer Patients
With cancer, no case is simple and no case is routine. Second opinions and research-based opinions from many different doctors are crucial to quality care. That’s where “Tumor Boards” come into focus at the TriHealth Cancer Institute.
What is a Tumor Board?
The name may sound a little odd, but the concept of a “Tumor Board” is basic. It's a board of physicians discussing a tumor.
Several times each month, doctors whose patients are being treated within the TriHealth Cancer Institute gather to talk about their cases and decide upon the appropriate next steps.
How Does the Tumor Board Benefit the Patient
When a patient’s case is presented at a Tumor Board it greatly benefits his or her care. There’s an opportunity for second and third opinions. Pathology, radiology and CAT Scans are reviewed by all the physicians in attendance, providing input from multiple specialists at once.
At these sessions, physicians with the TriHealth Cancer Institute forge relationships that benefit patients throughout their treatment. Once back in the exam room, physicians consult with other members of their patient’s care teams instantly via “Doc Halo,” a secure (HIPAA-compliant) communications system that allows instant communication via smartphone or personal computer. The patient’s record is sent to another physician, and most of the time you will get an immediate response.
It gives an additional sense of security to patients and also to their referring physicians that patients are getting the best care possible.