Cancer Support Community’s Research & Training Institute is working to elevate the voices of patients, survivors, and caregivers through expansive studies on the psychosocial impact of cancer. Learn about our research approaches, recent initiatives, and what we've learned.

Utilization management (or UM for short) is a set of techniques used to reduce healthcare costs, and they can directly impact patient care. We recently gathered stakeholders together for a virtual forum to discuss the role UM plays in our healthcare system. The conversation focused on what patients, caregivers, and advocates can do to create a more patient-centered system. Keep reading for key takeaways and actions you can take to help ensure UM practices are used appropriately to benefit patients.

My uncle, a former Massachusetts physical education teacher and football coach, had a tough exterior and an authoritative air – personality features that served him...

On March 22nd, 2019 the Research and Training Institute (RTI) presented findings from two studies at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. Below is a post from the research team about the significance of their findings from one study for people diagnosed with cancer, their families, and cancer care providers.

In cancer care, goals should be informed by what the patient considers to be most important. This is why our team at the Research and Training Institute is developing a new tool that can be used to measure what really matters to patients- Valued Outcomes in the Cancer Experience (VOICE™).

What does it mean to be a self-advocate? When we think of an advocate, we generally think of someone who is publicly supporting some policy or cause. So, how can you be an advocate for yourself? This week’s blog post kicks off a series of posts about how to become a self-advocate. Learn more about what self-advocacy means and find out how you can begin to advocate for yourself.

Today's blog post is by Kim Thiboldeaux, CEO of the Cancer Support Community. This blog post was also featured this month in the Huffington Post here, and you can read more of Kim’s Huffington Post blog posts here.