Dr Stephen Grubbs: Value Conversation Will Go on for Years

The value discussion in healthcare is becoming more relevant as the healthcare system increases its focus on better outcomes, said Stephen Grubbs, MD, vice president for clinical affairs at the American Society for Clinical Oncology.

Transcript (modified)

Why do we need the value discussion in healthcare, and specifically in oncology?

So the value definition, number 1, has to be clearly defined on what is value in medicine. The reason why we’re moving that way is because our healthcare system, and appropriately so, is beginning to move away from paying for doing things to beginning to say we really want to have better outcomes. So to begin to look at better outcomes we need to have a definition, then, of what is the value of a treatment to give you a better outcome.

I think the key point right now of the value discussion with ASCO is really for informed decision making by the patient, and that’s what we’re geared at right now. We'll evolve ... but this conversation's going to go on for years right now.