Alexandria, VA —In 2014, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released a landmark report about the state of cancer care in America. From the report, they found that there are 13.7 million cancer survivors in the U.S. and that number is trending upwards – a positive testament to life-saving advances in technology and medical care.
But with more positive results and a predicted higher demand, the report identified a significant problem that we may be facing in the upcoming years – access. ASCO predicts that by 2030, new diagnosis of cancer will rise by 42%. Combined with the rising survivor rate, advances in new treatment options and an aging population, the study revealed a rising threat to patient access.
As the demand for cancer care grows by 42%, the number of oncologists is only expected to rise by 28%, leaving a shortage of cancer care professionals. Other barriers to patient access include rising costs, disappearing small to mid-size practices and growing concentration of urban-based oncologists. The demographic analyzation of the study revealed that 90% of oncologists practice in urban areas. 70% of U.S. counties had no medical oncology facilities at all.
Advances in the way that we communicate will have to solve this problem at the new point of care. Email, video conferences and internet technologies are currently replacing many of our daily interactions with our healthcare providers and can dramatically reduce costs and save time for busy oncologists.
Posted By: Mike Martins
Further Reading:
Leigh Householder gives us some interesting new trends at the new point of care in her article, “Patient Experience At All The New Points of Care”.
ASCO created an infographic from their report of The State of Cancer Care in America: 2014
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
