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
