Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload
Background: To our knowledge, there is no literature that has described medical oncology (MO) workload in the global context. Here, we report results of an international study of global MO workload. Methods: An online survey was distributed through a snowball method via national oncology societies t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Society of Clinical Oncology
2017-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Global Oncology |
| Online Access: | http://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JGO.17.00126 |
| _version_ | 1828544321974960128 |
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| author | Adam Fundytus Richard Sullivan Verna Vanderpuye Bostjan Seruga Gilberto Lopes Nazik Hammad Manju Sengar Wilma M. Hopman Michael D. Brundage Christopher M. Booth |
| author_facet | Adam Fundytus Richard Sullivan Verna Vanderpuye Bostjan Seruga Gilberto Lopes Nazik Hammad Manju Sengar Wilma M. Hopman Michael D. Brundage Christopher M. Booth |
| author_sort | Adam Fundytus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: To our knowledge, there is no literature that has described medical oncology (MO) workload in the global context. Here, we report results of an international study of global MO workload. Methods: An online survey was distributed through a snowball method via national oncology societies to chemotherapy-prescribing physicians in 65 countries. Countries were classified into low- or low-middle–income countries (LMICs), upper-middle–income countries (UMICs), and high-income countries (HICs) on the basis of World Bank criteria. Workload was measured as the annual number of new consultations provided to patients with cancer per oncologist. Results: A total of 1,115 physicians completed the survey: 13% (147 of 1,115) from LMICs, 17% (186 of 1,115) from UMICs, and 70% (782 of 1,115) from HICs. Eighty percent (897 of 1,115) of respondents were medical oncologists, 10% (109 of 1,115) were clinical oncologists, and 10% (109 of 1,115) were other. The median number of annual consults per oncologist was 175 (interquartile range, 75 to 275); 13% (140 of 1,103) saw ≥ 500 new patients in a year. Annual case volume in LMICs (median consults, 425; 40% of respondents seeing > 500 consults) was substantially higher than in UMICs (median consults, 175; 14% > 500) and HICs (median consults, 175; 7% > 500; P < .001). Among LMICs, UMICs, and HICs, median working days per week were 6, 5, and 5, respectively (P < .001). The highest annual case volumes per oncologist were in Pakistan (median consults, 950; 73% > 500 consults), India (median consults, 475; 43% > 500), and Turkey (median consults, 475; 27% > 500). Conclusion: There is substantial global variation in medical oncology case volumes and clinical workload; this is most striking among LMICs, where huge deficits exist. Additional work is needed, particularly detailed country-level mapping, to quantify activity-based global MO practice and workload to inform training needs and the design of new pathways and models of care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:29:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b14e2d21adc43f0af0aebcf9fe789ef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2378-9506 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:29:02Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Global Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b14e2d21adc43f0af0aebcf9fe789ef2022-12-22T00:41:29ZengAmerican Society of Clinical OncologyJournal of Global Oncology2378-95062017-12-01411110.1200/JGO.17.0012620Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology WorkloadAdam FundytusRichard SullivanVerna VanderpuyeBostjan SerugaGilberto LopesNazik HammadManju SengarWilma M. HopmanMichael D. BrundageChristopher M. BoothBackground: To our knowledge, there is no literature that has described medical oncology (MO) workload in the global context. Here, we report results of an international study of global MO workload. Methods: An online survey was distributed through a snowball method via national oncology societies to chemotherapy-prescribing physicians in 65 countries. Countries were classified into low- or low-middle–income countries (LMICs), upper-middle–income countries (UMICs), and high-income countries (HICs) on the basis of World Bank criteria. Workload was measured as the annual number of new consultations provided to patients with cancer per oncologist. Results: A total of 1,115 physicians completed the survey: 13% (147 of 1,115) from LMICs, 17% (186 of 1,115) from UMICs, and 70% (782 of 1,115) from HICs. Eighty percent (897 of 1,115) of respondents were medical oncologists, 10% (109 of 1,115) were clinical oncologists, and 10% (109 of 1,115) were other. The median number of annual consults per oncologist was 175 (interquartile range, 75 to 275); 13% (140 of 1,103) saw ≥ 500 new patients in a year. Annual case volume in LMICs (median consults, 425; 40% of respondents seeing > 500 consults) was substantially higher than in UMICs (median consults, 175; 14% > 500) and HICs (median consults, 175; 7% > 500; P < .001). Among LMICs, UMICs, and HICs, median working days per week were 6, 5, and 5, respectively (P < .001). The highest annual case volumes per oncologist were in Pakistan (median consults, 950; 73% > 500 consults), India (median consults, 475; 43% > 500), and Turkey (median consults, 475; 27% > 500). Conclusion: There is substantial global variation in medical oncology case volumes and clinical workload; this is most striking among LMICs, where huge deficits exist. Additional work is needed, particularly detailed country-level mapping, to quantify activity-based global MO practice and workload to inform training needs and the design of new pathways and models of care.http://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JGO.17.00126 |
| spellingShingle | Adam Fundytus Richard Sullivan Verna Vanderpuye Bostjan Seruga Gilberto Lopes Nazik Hammad Manju Sengar Wilma M. Hopman Michael D. Brundage Christopher M. Booth Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload Journal of Global Oncology |
| title | Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload |
| title_full | Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload |
| title_fullStr | Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload |
| title_full_unstemmed | Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload |
| title_short | Delivery of Global Cancer Care: An International Study of Medical Oncology Workload |
| title_sort | delivery of global cancer care an international study of medical oncology workload |
| url | http://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JGO.17.00126 |
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