Healthcare Management

Ensuring Quality Cancer Care Through the Oncology Workforce

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There is currently a crisis in cancer care that experts predict will worsen in the near future due to a rapidly growing population of Americans requiring cancer care combined with an aging/retiring oncology workforce, and inadequate numbers of replacement workers. By 2020, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) predicts a 48 percent increase in cancer incidence and an 81 percent increase in people living with or surviving cancer (Erikson et al., 2007). For the same time period, ASCO predicts only a 14 percent increase in the number of practicing oncologists. Expected shortages in other health care workers who are involved in cancer care, including nurses, physician assistants, laboratory and radiology technicians, social workers, radiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, public health workers, and cancer registrars, also will affect both the quantity and the quality of cancer care in the 21st century. In addition, achieving improvements in any aspect of cancer care—including research, clinical trials, health disparities, access to care, patient navigation, survivorship, palliative care, etc.—will be difficult if not impossible without a sufficiently staffed general health care workforce. This is particularly true, since the majority of cancer care is not delivered in major cancer centers, but rather, is provided by primary care physicians and community practices.

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Call Number

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Publisher

: ., 2009

Collation

1-95

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

978-0-309-13671-6

Classification

NONE

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Ensuring Quality Cancer Care Through the Oncology

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