The Supportive Oncology Collaborative: Expanding upon Collaborative Care to Increase Supportive Care Access in...

Access to supportive services in community-based oncology is challenging but essential, particularly for underserved populations. We developed the Supportive Oncology Collaborative (SOC), built upon the tenets of Collaborative Care, an existing model used to increase access to behavioral health in community settings. Using a population-health-based approach with screening, a registry, and shared care, we added palliative care specialists to a team of social workers and a consulting psychiatrist. We provided integrated psychosocial and palliative care at community-based sites of a large comprehensive cancer center. We implemented the model in 2020 at a community site with a racially and ethnically diverse patient population. Encounters grew from 527 in our first year to 2,130 in 2022. Using screening tools, we identify the highest-risk patients for discussion in team meetings. We are expanding the SOC across the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute regional campuses and believe it can increase access to integrated psychosocial and palliative care in cancer centers across the country.