Eradicating Silos and Improving Communication in Cancer Care

It’s no secret that the U.S. cancer care delivery system is in crisis. Care is often not patient-centered, appropriate palliative care is lacking, and medical decisions often are not evidence-based. But when primary care physicians are closely involved during a patient’s cancer treatment, quality of care can improve.

New cancer diagnoses are expected to rise by 45% by 2030, even as severe shortages of both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are projected. Costs in cancer care are rising faster than other areas of medicine—annual costs are projected to reach $173 billion by 2020, up from $104 billion in 2006, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Meanwhile, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act will bring more patients into the healthcare system.

Traditionally, the role of the PCP in treating cancer patients has been ill-defined, and PCPs might easily lose track of their patients with cancer during the treatment phase.

- See more at: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/managing-oncology-patients-communication-key-improving-quality-care#sthash.kZY9Zdyj.dpuf

It’s no secret that the U.S. cancer care delivery system is in crisis. Care is often not patient-centered, appropriate palliative care is lacking, and medical decisions often are not evidence-based. But when primary care physicians are closely involved during a patient’s cancer treatment, quality of care can improve.

New cancer diagnoses are expected to rise by 45% by 2030, even as severe shortages of both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are projected. Costs in cancer care are rising faster than other areas of medicine—annual costs are projected to reach $173 billion by 2020, up from $104 billion in 2006, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Meanwhile, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act will bring more patients into the healthcare system.

Traditionally, the role of the PCP in treating cancer patients has been ill-defined, and PCPs might easily lose track of their patients with cancer during the treatment phase.

For example, in a study of 395 lung cancer patients, researchers found that only 16% of patients perceived a shared-care pattern between their family physician and oncologist, even though “most patients would have liked their family physician to be more involved in all aspects of cancer care,” according to the study in the November/December 2010 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

Read the article here: http://bit.ly/1mdkVvL

Source: Medical Economics

It’s no secret that the U.S. cancer care delivery system is in crisis. Care is often not patient-centered, appropriate palliative care is lacking, and medical decisions often are not evidence-based. But when primary care physicians are closely involved during a patient’s cancer treatment, quality of care can improve.

New cancer diagnoses are expected to rise by 45% by 2030, even as severe shortages of both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are projected. Costs in cancer care are rising faster than other areas of medicine—annual costs are projected to reach $173 billion by 2020, up from $104 billion in 2006, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Meanwhile, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act will bring more patients into the healthcare system.

Traditionally, the role of the PCP in treating cancer patients has been ill-defined, and PCPs might easily lose track of their patients with cancer during the treatment phase.

- See more at: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/managing-oncology-patients-communication-key-improving-quality-care#sthash.kZY9Zdyj.dpuf

It’s no secret that the U.S. cancer care delivery system is in crisis. Care is often not patient-centered, appropriate palliative care is lacking, and medical decisions often are not evidence-based. But when primary care physicians are closely involved during a patient’s cancer treatment, quality of care can improve.

New cancer diagnoses are expected to rise by 45% by 2030, even as severe shortages of both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are projected. Costs in cancer care are rising faster than other areas of medicine—annual costs are projected to reach $173 billion by 2020, up from $104 billion in 2006, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Meanwhile, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act will bring more patients into the healthcare system.

Traditionally, the role of the PCP in treating cancer patients has been ill-defined, and PCPs might easily lose track of their patients with cancer during the treatment phase.

- See more at: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/managing-oncology-patients-communication-key-improving-quality-care#sthash.kZY9Zdyj.dpuf

It’s no secret that the U.S. cancer care delivery system is in crisis. Care is often not patient-centered, appropriate palliative care is lacking, and medical decisions often are not evidence-based. But when primary care physicians are closely involved during a patient’s cancer treatment, quality of care can improve.

New cancer diagnoses are expected to rise by 45% by 2030, even as severe shortages of both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are projected. Costs in cancer care are rising faster than other areas of medicine—annual costs are projected to reach $173 billion by 2020, up from $104 billion in 2006, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Meanwhile, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act will bring more patients into the healthcare system.

Traditionally, the role of the PCP in treating cancer patients has been ill-defined, and PCPs might easily lose track of their patients with cancer during the treatment phase.

For example, in a study of 395 lung cancer patients, researchers found that only 16% of patients perceived a shared-care pattern between their family physician and oncologist, even though “most patients would have liked their family physician to be more involved in all aspects of cancer care,” according to the study in the November/December 2010 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

- See more at: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/managing-oncology-patients-communication-key-improving-quality-care#sthash.kZY9Zdyj.dpuf