Course 1: The Integrated Delivery Network Landscape 

In this course, Howard Thomas of HT Consulting provides a comprehensive overview of the IDN landscape. The module begins by covering the evolution of IDNs and how the consolidation of oncology providers sparked the IDN concept. It offers a look at IDN expansion and influence, including geographic growth, provider scale acceleration, and financial power. Mr. Thomas then covers the two main types of IDN internal structures that drive the process – highly centralized vs. loose centralization. The course concludes with exploring IDN interactions with other healthcare entities, including IDN-owned insurance plans and referral channels.  

Course 2: IDN Incentives and Strategies 

In this course, Cindy Chen and Emma Bijesse of HMP Market Access Insights describe the various IDN revenue and profit drivers, including internal specialty pharmacy dispensing, 340B prescription acquisition, cost containment, risk- and value-based initiatives, and external payer strategies. The module also covers IDN incentives, their impact on the bottom line and clinical outcomes, and how IDNs influence treatment decisions using decision support tools, centralized formularies, and clinical pathways. It also delves into the three IDN archetypes—collaborative, integrative, and cooperative—and how those models can impact treatment decisions.  

Course 3: IDN Stakeholders

This course delves into the stakeholders that make up an IDN, explaining who’s who and what makes them an essential cog in the IDN wheel. Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, of Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute, explains critical roles in an IDN, variations to watch for, whom to engage with and avoid, and the makeup of hospital and clinic structures and service lines. The course then dives into IDN decision-making processes and structures, focusing on which IDN personnel can influence a brand’s position—and how. The course concludes by outlining community- and hospital-based roles and behaviors. It explains cultural differences by setting and outlines the structures that tie community oncologists to the IDN.

Course 4: Manufacturer Engagement With IDNs: What to Know and How to React

This course, led by Bhavesh Shah, PharmD, of Boston Medical Center, provides manufacturers with a blueprint to help them engage effectively with IDNs. It starts with an overview of IDN characteristics, including types, internal structures, size, common traits, and geographic distribution. The course then dives into provider informational needs and explains how needs and challenges differ by IDN structure. Users then learn about how pharmaceutical field personnel must adapt to new realities, including the need for a more sophisticated level of engagement requiring complex skill sets. The course concludes with practical steps manufacturers should take to become valued partners with IDNs.