The report also indicated that the number of patients who saw 10 or more different physicians during the last six months of their lives rose from 46.2% to 58.5%. The analysts interpreted this to mean "more patients may have experienced fragmented care."
In a statement Dr. Hudis encouraged the oncology community to "keep striving to deliver the right care at the right time." In an e-mail interview, Dr. Hudis wrote that, "The overall trend is a good one because it is concordant with the overall goals of ASCO: to make sure that every patient has access to the highest quality care throughout their disease experience."
Dr. Goodman and Dr. Byock report no relevant disclosures. The report was principally funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with support from a consortium of funders including the WellPoint Foundation, the United Health Foundation, and the California HealthCare Foundation.