Evolent Health, an NYSE-listed US healthcare company serving over 40 million people, has partnered with Careology to enable more coordinated, connected and empowered treatment journeys for people living with cancer in the US.

This partnership comes as the World Health Organization predicts that global cancer incidence rates will rise 77% by 2050 to make over 35 million new cases per year. In the US, the sustainability of cancer practice faces major challenges, including the rising cost of cancer care, an oncology workforce shortage, and ongoing chemotherapy drug shortages. Cancer care navigation could help to relieve some of these pressures.

Evolent works with more than 70 health plans — spanning over 40 million unique members — to improve the quality and affordability of care for cancer and other conditions.

The partnership will bring together Careology’s “patient-first” digital solution with Evolent’s comprehensive care navigation services. The joint offering will create a platform that connects and empowers patients with personalised information and intuitive tools to understand their diagnoses and treatment regimens, as well as manage symptoms and potential treatment side-effects.

Evolent's President, Dan McCarthy says, “Far too often, the experience of living with cancer is characterised by fear, frustration and fragmentation. With Careology’s best-in-class digital platform, we have the opportunity to deliver a mobile, connected and coordinated experience. We believe that when patients are more engaged and equipped to manage their health, the better their outcomes will be.”

Enabling care closer to home

Careology enables people with cancer to stay on top of all aspects of their cancer treatment — such as medications and appointments — while monitoring their symptoms and side effects and sharing this information with providers. This data-rich digital oversight enables premium levels of care closer to home and early intervention if something isn’t right.

Data-driven insights from our Careology platform will also help identify patients most likely to benefit from personalised navigation services from Evolent, enabling outreach and advocacy as desired by the patient and their loved-ones. Care navigation may also help patients avoid the inconveniences, stress and costs associated with preventable emergency department or hospital visits by empowering them and their caregivers to manage symptoms.

Careology's Founder and CEO, Paul Landau, comments: “Bringing together our complementary capabilities we believe will help deliver a better cancer care proposition to all constituencies in the US. Evolent and Careology share a mission to support people living and dealing with cancer, and Evolent’s excellent reputation, large customer base and comprehensive leadership in oncology specialty care make it the optimal partner to accelerate our entry into the US market. We are excited to partner during this critical time in the evolution of cancer care.”

Evolent will integrate Careology into its navigation services across multiple lines of business and to launch the integrated platform by the end of 2024, with a national roll-out in 2025.

As part of the partnership, McCarthy will join the Careology board.