Table 3.

Recommendations included in the Future Plan of Medical Oncology

Areas	Recommendations
Area 1 Adapting Medical Oncology workforce to new needs	R1	Adapt the number of MO to the growing needs of cancer care delivery and higher complexity of patients
	R2	Adapt average dedication time per patient, especially in first and second consultations as well as time dedicated to research
	R3	Create a Register of professionals that facilitates ongoing analysis and assessment of specialists’ needs based on demand changes
	R4	Reduce MO’s administrative workload, by strengthening administrative support resources
	R5	Concentrate high complexity care, ensuring optimal resources for its management
	R6	Adapt continuous training and Specialised Healthcare Training programmes to the speciality’s challenges: biomarkers and precision medicine, multidisciplinary work skills
	R7	Strengthen MO contents included in bachelor programmes with a higher involvement of bachelor MO students
	R8	Promote super-specialisation in care delivery teams
Area 2 Developing specific plans of care delivery adapted to new profiles and their specific needs	R9	Promote the participation of MO in the development of specific plans for long-term survivors
	R10	Promote the participation of MO in the development of specific plans for ongoing care
	R11	Promote the participation of MO in the development of specific plans for care delivery to elderly and patients with co-morbidities
	R12	Improve the coordination MO-Primary Care for the patients’ follow-up
Area 3 Ensuring the equity and access to quality healthcare delivery	R13	Establish healthcare outcomes assessment and dissemination systems. Creation of a national quality assessment system
	R14	Develop clinical information and treatment plan registers with access for patients
	R15	Advance in the definition of agreed protocols/therapy guidelines and promote their implementation
	R16	Define, establish and measure useful indicators for the assessment of care delivery quality and the impact of innovation incorporation
	R17	Facilitate the access of MO to systematic quality assessment tools through actual outcomes that allow the integration of care delivery, resources management, economic and health outcome data. Outcome assessment in terms of effectiveness
	R18	Promote participation of Oncology Departments in quality accreditation systems
Area 4 Ensuring earlier diagnosis	R19	Improve coordination MO-Primary Care. Improve resources and training for an early diagnosis
	R20	Ensure the access to early detection strategies with evidence-based usefulness specially in colorectal, lung breast, cervix and prostate cancer
	R21	Promote research in early stages of the disease
Area 5 Advancing towards a more accurate and comprehensive cancer care delivery	R22	Promote the creation of multidisciplinary teams for all kinds of cancers
	R23	Promote the creation of inter-hospital joint services (care delivery, training and research in collaboration)
	R24	Promote the creation of centres based on the philosophy of Comprehensive Cancer Centre, which integrate multidisciplinary care delivery, training and research in cancer
	R25	Increase the use of ICT for promoting inter/multidisciplinary work
	R26	Promote research in biomarkers, immunotherapy and combined therapies
	R27	Promote network research for increasing its scope
	R28	Facilitate the inclusion of patients in clinical trials through the use of ICT
	R29	Promote the creation of patient registers and ensure optimal exploitation of electronic medical history data

MO medical oncology or medical oncologists, ICT information and communication technologies