Building Better Patient Care in Mississippi Radiation Oncology: Why Mississippi Needs a Collaborative Quality Initiative.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer is an insidious and devastating disease that affects many people. Progress in mortality rate has not been realized universally across the United States, and challenges remain in how to best make up the ground that has been lost in these areas, one of which is Mississippi. Radiation therapy is a significant contributor to cancer control rates and certain challenges exist specifically regarding this treatment modality. METHODS: The challenges of radiation oncology in Mississippi have been reviewed and discussed, with the proposal of a potential collaboration between clinical practitioners and payors to provide optimal and cost-effective radiation therapy to patients in Mississippi. RESULTS: A similar model to that proposed has been reviewed and evaluated. This model is discussed based on its potential validity and usefulness in Mississippi. CONCLUSIONS: Significant barriers exist in the state of Mississippi to patients receiving a consistent standard of care, regardless of their location and socioeconomic status. A collaborative quality initiative has been shown to be a boon to this endeavor elsewhere and stands to have a similar impact in Mississippi.