讚成選腫瘤專科醫院的醫生, 名醫生很難約的話,找他的副手。副手現在看病常常比名醫還多。
ASCO說, 美國每年有一百六十萬新腫瘤病人,一千二百五十萬老病人,但隻有13000腫瘤內科醫師。。。醫生很難找的。
Oncology Rounds
ASCO releases preliminary data on current oncology landscape
Deirdre Fuller, Oncology Roundtable
Did you know that the majority of oncologists practicing today are over the age of 50? It’s true, according to new data released from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
During 2012, ASCO launched extensive research projects to collect data that will allow it to better understand the rapidly evolving landscape in oncology, as well as how oncology practices are adapting to increasing administrative, financial, and political pressures. Here, we highlight a handful of key findings from two of these projects—the Workforce Information System and National Census of Oncology Practices.
ASCO Workforce Information System: Giving us the big picture in cancer care
Through one of their ongoing research projects, the Workforce Information System (WIS), ASCO will be able to continuously collect data and produce annual reports on the most up-to-date status of the oncology workforce. For example, recently released data highlights that:
- In 2012, there were an estimated 1.6M new cancer cases in the US, an increase of 2.6% from 2011
- In 2009, 12.5M people were living with a history of cancer, an increase of 5% from 2008
- From 2010 to 2011, the number of oncologists increased 2.8%, an increased pace compared to the overall physician increase of 1%
- There are a total of 13,084 practicing oncologists in the US, 81.4% of whom specified “direct patient care” as their primary professional activity
- In 2008, the number of oncologists 64 years of age and older surpassed the number of oncologists under 40
ASCO National Census of Oncology Practices: How oncology practices are changing
Adding to the data from ASCO’s Workforce Information System, more than 600 U.S. oncology practices participated in ASCO’s National Census of Oncology Practices, which aims to track how oncology practices are adapting to increasing pressures, as well as provide information on existing and trending ownership structures within oncology. Early findings show that:
- 55% of respondents work in private community practices, 12.4% in non-academic institutions, 11.3% in academic practices, and 9.8% in private integrated practices that are part of large health systems
- 57% of practices report an affiliation with a community hospital, 28% with an academic center, and 28% with another type of medical center
- In 2011, practices reported treating an average of 1,268 new patients
- The greatest pressures affecting practices were ranked accordingly:
- Payer pressures
- Cost pressures
- Competitive pressures
- Drug shortages
Ongoing data collection through these initiatives will help ASCO and cancer providers nationwide understand the current dynamics within oncology. As ASCO President Sandra M. Swain asserts, “The oncology community has a responsibility to prepare for the future, which starts with gaining clarity about the present.”
Learn More
To read the full ASCO reports, as published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, please click on the titles below:
- Tracking the Workforce: The ASCO Workforce Information System
- ASCO National Census of Oncology Practice
- Who Does Not Receive Treatment for Cancer Care