Shared Decision Making and Value Based Cancer Care Research
The United States health care system has been evolving at a rapid pace with attempts to control costs while also improving outcomes for patients. Cancer care is at the center of these debates with 15.5 million cancer survivors and per person treatment costs exceeding all other diseases. Policy and decision makers are shifting from a volume-based system to value-based care in an effort to ensure that patients are receiving high-quality care at the lowest possible price.
The Cancer Support Community has been a leading voice on these issues with a focus on how policies are impacting the daily lives of cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones. With a Cancer Experience Registry capturing the voices of over 13,000 people, and an affiliate network that provides over $50 million in free services to individuals impacted by cancer each year, we talk directly to our members about what matters to them. We are pleased to amplify their voices through two of our most recent publications. We hope you will take a moment to learn more about:
Cancer Patient Perspectives on the Use of Clinical Pathways and Shared Decision-Making in Cancer Care (Journal of Clinical Pathways)
The United States has one of the most expensive heath care systems in the world, and the costs of cancer care are rising faster than costs in other medical fields. Value-based care is being implemented in many health care sectors in an effort to deliver high-quality care that is also more cost-effective. Use of clinical pathways is one strategy being used by many payers to encourage oncology care providers to standardize care. However, the patient perspective has not been incorporated into the development and use of clinical pathways in cancer care. This phenomenological qualitative study explores patient perspectives regarding clinical pathways and their use as a shared decision-making tool in the delivery of cancer care. Results showed that participants were generally unaware of the use of clinical pathways. Participants acknowledged the value of standardized care but emphasized their preference for shared decision-making and the importance of individualized care that was not limited by clinical pathway recommendations. Implications for practice, research, and policy are discussed.
Perspectives of Patients with Cancer on the Quality-Adjusted Life Year as a Measure of Value in Healthcare (Value in Health)
Healthcare expenditures in the United States continue to grow; to control costs, there has been a shift away from volume-focused care to value-based care. The incorporation of patient perspectives in the development of value-based healthcare is critical, yet research addressing this issue is limited. This study explores awareness and understanding of patients with cancer about the quality-adjusted life year (QALY), as well as their perspectives regarding the use of the QALY to measure value in healthcare.