More than 80% of oncologists frequently see mental health distress in their patients with cancer, and more than 90% say it has a significant impact on their health outcomes.
DUBLIN, Ohio, December 9, 2021 — More than 80% of oncologists frequently see mental health distress in their patients with cancer, and more than 90% say it has a significant impact on their health outcomes. These findings were released today in the latest edition of Oncology Insights, a report published by Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions based on surveys with more than 240 US oncologists.
Anxiety disorders and depression were cited by more than 80% of oncologists as the types of mental health distress seen most frequently in their patients, but personality and addiction disorders were also mentioned. Despite the high prevalence of mental health concerns, only a third of the surveyed oncologists said they frequently refer patients for mental health treatment and nearly half say there are not adequate resources available to support the mental health needs of cancer patients.
"Recent research indicates that mental health generally has declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly concerning for patients with cancer who are already at an increased risk for mental health distress," said Heidi Hunter, president of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. "Our latest oncology survey shines a light on this issue and provides insights on additional education and resources that could help oncologists to provide much-needed support to patients."
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Dr Al Benson on Reimbursement for Supportive Care When Treating Patients With Cancer
March 22nd 2024Al Benson, MD, FACP, FACCC, FASCO, medical oncologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and associate director of the Robert E. Tillery Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed findings from a national survey assessing barriers to comprehensive cancer care delivery.
Read More
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Dr Justin Bekelman
December 19th 2023Justin Bekelman, MD, director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation, sat with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for our final episode of 2023 to discuss the importance of collaboration between academic medicine and community oncology and testing innovative cancer care delivery in these settings.
Listen
FDA Approves Tislelizumab for Advanced or Metastatic ESCC After Chemotherapy
March 15th 2024The FDA has approved tislelizumab-jsgr (Tevimbra) for single-agent use in adult patients with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following prior systemic chemotherapy that did not include a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.
Read More