Perspectives on the Costs of Cancer Care: A Survey of the American Society of Breast Surgeons

Journal Article · Tue Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2019 · Annals of Surgical Oncology (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1245/S10434-019-07594-3· OSTI ID:22927578

Rushing, Christel N.; Fish, Laura J. ^[1]; Lane, Whitney O. ^[2]; Peppercorn, Jeffrey M. ^[3]; Bellavance, Emily ^[4]; Tolnitch, Lisa ^[2]; Hyslop, Terry ^[1]; Myers, Evan R. ^[5]; Zafar, S. Yousuf ^[6]; Hwang, E. Shelley ^[2]

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1. Duke University, Duke Cancer Institute (United States)
2. Duke University, Department of Surgery (United States)
3. Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Medicine (United States)
4. University of Maryland School of Medicine (United States)
5. Duke University, Department of Medicine (United States)
6. Duke University, Department of Population Health Sciences (United States)

Background: Cancer treatment costs are not routinely addressed in shared decisions for breast cancer surgery. Thus, we sought to characterize cost awareness and communication among surgeons treating breast cancer. Methods: We conducted a self-administered, confidential electronic survey among members of the American Society of Breast Surgeons from 1 July to 15 September 2018. Questions were based on previously published or validated survey items, and assessed surgeon demographics, cost sensitivity, and communication. Descriptive summaries and cross-tabulations with Chi-square statistics were used, with exact tests where warranted, to assess findings. Results: Of those surveyed (N = 2293), 598 (25%) responded. Surgeons reported that ‘risk of recurrence’ (70%), ‘appearance of the breast’ (50%), and ‘risks of surgery’ (47%) were the most influential on patients’ decisions for breast cancer surgery; 6% cited out-of-pocket costs as significant. Over half (53%) of the surgeons agreed that doctors should consider patient costs when choosing cancer treatment, yet the majority of surgeons (58%) reported ‘infrequently’ (43%) or ‘never’ (15%) considering patient costs in medical recommendations. The overwhelming majority (87%) of surgeons believed that patients should have access to the costs of their treatment before making medical decisions. Surgeons treating a higher percentage of Medicaid or uninsured patients were more likely to consistently consider costs (p < 0.001). Participants reported that insufficient knowledge or resources (61%), a perceived inability to help with costs (24%), and inadequate time (22%) impeded cost discussions. Notably, 20% of participants believed that discussing costs might impact the quality of care patients receive. Conclusions: Cost transparency remains rare, however in shared decisions for breast cancer surgery, improved cost awareness by surgeons has the potential to reduce financial hardship.

• OSTI ID: 22927578
• Journal Information: Annals of Surgical Oncology (Online), Journal Name: Annals of Surgical Oncology (Online) Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 26; ISSN 1534-4681
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
COST
HAZARDS
MAMMARY GLANDS
NEOPLASMS
PATIENTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
SURGERY