Zohaib Akhtar MD MPH
A Better Way to Deliver Cancer Care
For years, cancer care followed a routine that most people in the system never questioned. A patient suspects something is wrong, sees a primary doctor, and then gets sent to multiple specialists. For example, one for imaging, one for surgery, one for oncology, another for radiation. These visits happen across different weeks, different buildings, sometimes even different hospitals.
Each specialist reviews the case separately. Sometimes they communicate. Often they don’t. Eventually, after weeks of waiting, a care plan starts to take shape.
This was the standard. It was considered normal. But it was never built with the patient in mind.
The real cost of “standard” care
What this process actually means for patients is something else entirely. Multiple appointments. Repeating their story over and over. Delays. Confusion. Uncertainty. And all of this while grappling with a life-threatening diagnosis.
When we looked closer (using patient journey data and timelines) the numbers told the story clearly: the average time from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer patients at a leading institution was nearly 29 days. And the most frustrating part? The delay wasn’t due to complex medicine. It was due to scheduling and coordination failure.
Why the problem
If the issue was so clear, why hadn’t it been fixed?
Because no one “owned” the problem. Every specialist was doing their job. Every department had its system. The friction wasn’t visible unless you stepped back and looked at the full patient experience.......end to end. This is what made the problem so persistent. It was everyone’s issue, and therefore no one’s priority.
A different way
With everything in place, we piloted the one-day multidisciplinary clinic for breast cancer patients over the course of a year. The results were remarkable:
• Faster Diagnosis to Treatment: The average time from diagnosis to starting treatment dropped from average of 29 days to 12 days. That’s more than a 50% reduction in delays.
• Better Care Plans: Because all specialists discussed the case together, patients were more likely to receive a tailored, evidence-based treatment plan that considered every aspect of their condition.
• Improved Patient Experience: Patients reported feeling more supported and less stressed. They left the clinic with clarity and confidence about their care.
These outcomes weren’t just about speed. They were about creating a better, more humane experience for patients. For someone facing a life-altering diagnosis, this streamlined approach made an enormous difference.
Proving the case
We didn’t just pitch the idea.....we built the case. Using predictive analytics, we modeled how long patients were waiting, and how much specialist time was lost to repeat visits and fragmented care. We then used causal analytics to understand why: misaligned schedules, asynchronous decisions, and a lack of real-time collaboration.
This insight wasn’t just helpful.......it was catalytic. It turned a hunch into a plan.
Resistance/Redesign
Of course, change doesn’t happen just because something makes sense.
We had to convince each stakeholder, including the surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, nurses, admin staff, and that this could work without disrupting everything else. It took one-on-one meetings, trust-building, schedule modeling, and systems redesign.
We launched the One-Day Multidisciplinary Clinic (MDC) as a pilot for breast cancer patients. All specialists would be present. All decisions would be made that day. Patients would leave with answers—not just more questions.
What happened
The result:
• Diagnosis-to-treatment time dropped from 29 to 12 days
• Care plans improved, as specialists made decisions together
• Patients felt clearer, calmer, and better supported
• Providers saved time, with fewer back-and-forths and repeated assessments
• Costs dropped, because the process was more efficient
The success led to new funding, a dedicated clinic space, and the model being adopted as the standard of care.
Why this
This wasn’t about new technology. It wasn’t about AI or a fancy app. It was about asking better questions, using data in the right way, and building something that worked for both people and the system.
It showed that the real innovation wasn’t complexity......it was clarity.
We didn’t invent a new treatment. We invented a better experience. One that put the patient at the center..... and brought the system to them.
"Innovation begins with noticing.......and the courage to say: we can do this better"
Z
