Healthcare Management

Assessing and Improving Value in Cancer Care

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Oncology is similar to the other areas in health care in that it is under pressure to control expenditures while maintaining or improving quality of care and patient outcomes such that the value of oncology care is enhanced. Unlike many other areas in health care, the practice of oncology presents unique challenges that make assessing and improving value especially com- plex. First, patients and professionals feel a well-justified sense of urgency to treat for cure, and if cure is not possible, to extend life and reduce the burden of disease. Second, treatments are often both life sparing and highly toxic (and occasionally life threatening). Third, distinctive payment struc- tures for cancer medicines are intertwined with practice. Fourth, providers often face tremendous pressure to apply the newest technologies to patients who fail to respond to established treatments, even when the evidence sup- porting those technologies is incomplete or uncertain, and providers may be reluctant to stop toxic treatments and move to palliation, even at the end of life. Finally, the newest and most novel treatments in oncology are among the most costly in medicine.

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Series Title

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Call Number

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Publisher

: ., 2009

Collation

1-165

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

978-0-309-13814-7

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Assessing and Improving Value in Cancer Care

Specific Detail Info

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