AmerisourceBergen boosts community oncology/urology participation in clinical trials
IntrinsiQ Specialty Solutions and ION Solutions apply resources to the task
ION Solutions, an AmerisourceBergen business unit that characterizes itself as the largest physician service organization for community oncology in the US, has collaborated with another AmerisourceBergen unit, IntrinsiQ Specialty Solutions, to expose more of community oncology practices (and patients) to clinical trials. The service, called the AdvanceIQ Network, will match independent community oncology and urology practices who choose to participate with researchers conducting trials. Deidentified patient information can also be shared to determine trial participants.
ION’s basic service is to act as a group purchasing organization for community oncology, while providing a variety of practice-support resources. IntrinsiQ’s basic business is providing IT tools to manage dosages and medication regimens for cancer patients. According to the companies, AdvanceIQ Network “will help to facilitate clinical trials, investigator research, prospective patient registries, retrospective outcomes research studies and panel studies. Participating practices and their physicians will also receive contract management resources, ongoing research education and training and grant submission support.”
“We are constantly striving to provide exceptional support for patients, as well as providers, in order to drive better outcomes and ultimately enhance care,” said Vicki Albrecht, PhD, SVP and GM at ION Solutions. “By leveraging our expertise and network to connect our urology and oncology providers to new trials, AdvanceIQ can truly make an impact in supporting broader access to innovative research in a community setting.”
This follows on the heels of another ION initiative, with an outside company called HealthGrid (Orlando, FL), which offers a patient relationship-management resource. The 5,300 community oncology practices in the ION network will be able to use the HealthGrid platform to stay in touch with patients, provide educational services and improve medication adherence.
