Photo by Rhoda Baer
Cancer patient receiving treatment
Treatment costs are the greatest threat to the growth of cancer programs, according to a survey of nearly 300 cancer program administrators and providers.
Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents said treatment costs were among the biggest threats to future cancer program growth at their organization.
Other top threats to growth included physician alignment around services and program goals—cited by 47% of respondents—and changes in healthcare coverage—cited by 46%.
This survey—the “2017 Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey”—was conducted by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and Advisory Board’s Oncology Roundtable. It was supported by Pfizer Oncology.
The survey was distributed via email on July 24, 2017. Respondents included 293 cancer program administrators and providers from 209 institutions. They submitted responses over 6 weeks.
Respondents identified the following “biggest threats” to cancer program growth:
- Cost of drugs and/or new treatment modalities—68%
- Physician alignment around services and program goals—47%
- Changes in healthcare coverage—46%
- Cuts to fee-for-service reimbursement—44%
- Shifting reimbursement to value-based care—43%
- Marketplace competition—35%
- Workforce planning (eg, managing staff shortages)—34%
- Network strategy and integration—33%
- Site of care policies issued by private payers—27%
- Access to capital—26%
- Quality reporting requirements—22%
- Health information technology—21%
- Other—6%.
When asked to identify their greatest opportunities for cost savings, respondents overwhelmingly pointed toward clinical standardization (63%) and drugs (62%).
Other opportunities included:
- Supplies—28%
- Capital expenses (eg, imaging technology)—24%
- Non-clinical staff (eg, billing and coding specialists)—22%
- Technology maintenance—20%
- Clinical staff—16%
- Retail pharmacy—14%
- Clinical research—10%
- Support services (eg, acupuncture)—9%
- Other—4%.
Respondents also said the investments most likely to yield a return for their cancer program were:
- Increasing the number of sub-specialists (eg, breast surgeons)—59%
- Marketing—41%
- Specialty pharmacy—36%
- Increasing the number of general oncology physicians—34%
- Screening services (eg, mobile screening unit)—29%
- Capital investments—24%
- Clinical research—16%
- Support services—15%
- Retail pharmacy—14%
- Building upgrades—14%.
More details on the “2017 Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey” can be found on the ACCC website.
