European Cancer Organisation essential requirements for quality cancer care : hematological malignancies

Abstract

European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCCs) are primarily organizational recommendations, giving politicians, managers, oncology teams, patients, and patient advocacy groups a non‐technical overview of the elements needed to provide high‐quality care throughout the patient journey. They are not clinical guidelines, but define the actions necessary to deliver high‐quality care to patients with specific cancer types, here applied to hematological malignancies in Europe.

The recommendations set out an aspirational but realistic standard that should be within reach for most countries, given adequate resourcing. They include the need for (1) fast and easy access to accurate diagnostic tests; (2) clearly established pathways for referral to specialist centers; (3) services to be centralized; (4) continuous monitoring of patient well‐being; (5) treatment strategies to be agreed by a core multidisciplinary team; and (6) patients and their families to be involved at all stages of decision‐making.

The foundation of ERQCCs is quality. This has become increasingly important in all aspects of healthcare as new and complex treatments come into use and pressure grows on resources. Improving quality means delivering cancer care that is timely, safe, effective, and efficient; that puts the patient at the center; and that gives all people in Europe equal access to high‐quality services.