Oncology

Research on how tools impact health, costs is 'inconclusive,' but clinicians say better-informed patients avoid unnecessary care, frustration

More than 200 participants gathered in Baltimore for "Patient-Centered Oncology: Real-World Perspectives," which covered genetic testing, how to engage patients in decision-making, and how the "culture of medicine" continues to drive up costs despite calls to abandon the fee-for-service payment model.

At The American Journal of Managed Care's (AJMC's) Patient-Centered Oncology Care: Real-World Perspectives (PCOC) conference, held November 14-15 in Baltimore, MD, discussion squarely centered on the ideals of making oncology care more patient-focused.

Some of the most significant changes in healthcare reform are being led by oncologists, especially as innovation and team-based collaboration are increasingly becoming the standard in cancer care delivery.

Oncologists are at the forefront of payment and delivery reforms sweeping medicine today, a former head of Medicare said.

The disparities in survival among node-positive breast cancer patients of African American and Hispanic heritage are not explained by nodal surgery utilization.

An AJMC Panel Discussion

For many, a bill for more than a quarter million dollars is nothing to scoff at-but while treating those with cancer, these costs are all too common.