ACRO inks deal with health benefit manager

National Imaging Associates (NIA) and the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) have signed a collaborative agreement to establish guidelines in radiation therapy treatment.

The agreement between the medical society and the health benefits management organization is designed to establish guidelines to support safe and appropriate patient care and reduce the inappropriate variability of radiation therapy treatment and costs among providers.

Radiation therapy is the treatment plan for 60 percent of cancer patients, yet there is considerable variation in how this care is delivered, explained Avon, Conn.-based NIA, a subsidiary of Magellan Health Services.

According to the agreement, ACRO will have a leading role in the development, maintenance, periodic updating and use of disease site-specific radiation oncology practice guidelines. Through this collaborative effort, ACRO will develop uniform national guidelines, owned by ACRO and licensed to NIA with an exclusive endorsement. This effort is designed to improve the delivery of professional radiation oncology services, as well as ancillary and related services, to patients throughout the U.S., the organizations said.

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