ReCAP: Physician Experience and Attitudes Toward Addressing the Cost of Cancer Care [CARE DELIVERY]

QUESTION ASKED: Because the cost of oncologic care is perpetually rising, we wanted to know how often physicians who treat cancer discuss the cost of care (both out-of-pocket and societal) with their patients, what the nature of those discussions is, and whether such discussions affect treatment decisions. SUMMARY ANSWER: Sixty percent of responding physicians reported addressing costs frequently or always in clinic, 40% addressed costs rarely or never, and 36% did not believe it is the doctor’s responsibility to explain costs of care to patients. Additional responses are listed in Table 3. The majority of physicians feel their patients are not well informed about costs. "I don’t know enough/lack of resources" is the largest reported barrier to cost discussions, and those who reported frequent discussions were significantly more likely to explain costs and to prioritize treatments in terms of cost. Table 3.Physician Attitudes Toward Out-of-Pocket Costs Versus Societal Costs Question or Statement% Response by Attitude Strongly AgreeAgreeNeither Agree nor DisagreeDisagreeStrongly DisagreeDoctors should explain to patients the costs the patient will have to pay for his or her cancer treatment.123221288Doctors should explain to patients the costs society will have to pay for the patient’s treatment.517333411When choosing a new treatment, doctors should consider the costs to the patient.15601572When choosing a new treatment, doctors should consider the costs ...
Source: Journal of Oncology Practice - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Communication, Treatment related issues, Doctor-patient communication, Quality, Cost of care, General public CARE DELIVERY Source Type: research