What organization requires hospitals to perform follow-up for accreditation in cancer programs?

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is the organization that requires hospitals to perform follow-up for accreditation in cancer programs. Under CoC standards, hospitals are mandated to conduct follow-up to assess patient outcomes and ensure the quality of cancer care provided. This follow-up process is critical for gathering data that can inform improvements in treatment protocols and healthcare practices within cancer programs.

The CoC sets comprehensive standards for cancer care and aims to enhance the quality of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, which includes establishing a systematic process for tracking patients after treatment. This helps to create a robust database that can be used for research, quality improvement efforts, and to report cancer statistics.

While other organizations, such as the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), play significant roles in cancer data collection and registry operations, they do not specifically set accreditation requirements for hospitals that include mandated follow-up. The American College of Surgeons has a broad focus on surgical practices and education but operates in conjunction with the CoC, which has the primary authority over cancer program accreditation requirements, including follow-up obligations.