Value-based cancer care platform Thyme Care is launching Enhanced Supportive Care, a virtual palliative care support program to assist its members and caregivers with managing physical and psychological symptoms accompanying cancer diagnosis and treatment.   

The program will be led by Dr. Julia Frydman, the company's first medical director for palliative care. Frydman previously worked in the geriatric and palliative medicine program at New York City's Mount Sinai Health System.

"There's a group of patients who are members at Thyme Care, who have either curative disease but are having a lot of symptoms or a lot of repercussions of that disease due to the treatment, or who have advancing progressive disease and need assistance with the symptoms of that advancing disease and with medical decision-making as they approach end of life. Palliative care takes care of both of those groups of patients," Frydman told MobiHealthNews.

Thyme Care offers palliative care options through its care team, such as assistance with members' goals, values and preferences or advanced care planning; however, through Enhanced Supportive Care, members will have access to a palliative care clinician, including Dr. Frydman.  

"Some patients may need more help with their symptoms, may need more assistance understanding their illness and its prognosis, need an extra layer of support for their caregivers to maximize quality of life and ensure they receive goal-concordant care. So, it is a natural clinical extension of what we do with care partners and nurses," Frydman said.

The virtual palliative care offering, which can be offered at any stage of illness, will be structured around an individual member's needs.

The program will generally begin with a psychological and physical assessment to determine how Enhanced Supportive Care services can be most beneficial. Then, services are rendered depending on a member's cancer type. 

For example, members with curative cancer may receive support on how to talk with their friends and family about their disease or coping mechanisms to help with the successful completion of cancer treatment. 

An individual with advanced cancer can receive end-of-life assistance, such as discovering where support is available or benefits versus risks in certain oncology therapies. 

"Palliative care is a crucial component of improving quality of life while getting treated for cancer, and palliative medicine clinicians are uniquely equipped to help with coping, to help with symptoms," Frydman said. 

"Oncologists do this too, but their main priority is treating the cancer, and the main priority of palliative care clinicians is taking care of the patient and the family unit."

Frydman will be the primary clinician for the program and plans to expand its clinician base by hiring nurse practitioners by the end of the year.  

"The reason that we're particularly excited is that in some communities, and some oncology practices, there are no palliative care providers available to our members, and that's in the setting of a national geriatrics and palliative medicine shortage," Frydman said. 

"There are just not enough clinicians with these areas of expertise to keep up with the needs of our population. So, we're excited to be able to extend the reach of services."