Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Investigators have expanded the scientific understanding of cancer in the adolescent young adult patient population over the past decade. However, unmet needs remain in establishing treatment standards, addressing unique survivorship challenges, and providing a framework for patients to reference as they navigate their cancer journey.

During the COVD-19 pandemic, the expansion of covered services for telehealth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and private insurers has provided a safer alternative for patients and physicians.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have stalled some physician retirements, but some experts are predicting an exodus of oncologists within the next 1 or 2 years. Practice managers are working now to mitigate the impact with both formal and informal initiatives.

One of the main methods to address this disparity of cancer care is using community health workers and navigators to do the grassroots outreach.

Given the national push for value-based care, oncology practices such as Minnesota Oncology are modifying their treatment models to better coordinate care not only with patients but also with referring physicians.

While cybersecurity upgrades may require additional software and hardware and come at an expense, experts said the expenses are worth it, as they help avoid government fines for data breaches, data recovery costs, and the potential for loss of public trust.

Anecdotes of gender inequality and sexual harassment abound among gynecologic oncologists, but until recently, there had been no study to measure the problem in this profession. Findings reported in June 2019 suggesting that high numbers of men and women in this field were subject to sexual harassment were no surprise to investigators. Instead, they have strengthened national gender discrimination and sexual harassment reform efforts in oncologic gynecology.

The aging of the baby boomer population and the growing number of cancer survivors have created a huge demand for oncology treatment services. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has compounded the need by ratcheting up standards for value-based care. To handle these additional needs, many oncology practices now turn to advanced practice providers, typically nurse practitioners or physician assistants, who are highly trained and capable of taking over many of the routine functions of the oncology clinic.

Following a multiyear trend in which oncology practices merged with hospitals to achieve savings and improved care, it appeared as though the pendulum was going to swing the other way.

Under the current administration, a policy implemented at the turn of the year could have far-reaching effects on the healthcare reform effort.

Consciously or unconsciously, all oncologists develop some sort of system for managing the growing complexity of cancer care.

Within a year of starting its drug-waste reduction study in 2010, NCCH became the first hospital in the country to implement a program systematically extending medications’ beyond use dates from several hours to upward of 7 days.

Some rural clinics are finding ways to successfully raise the level of cancer care for their patients, and methods vary according to the amount of time and other resources available.