Physicians face barriers to care for patients with cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Patients are not alone in facing barriers to care. Many physicians also report encountering barriers when referring patients with cancer to specialty care.

Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles analyzed responses to the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium physician survey.

They found that 3 in 5 physicians reported always, usually, or sometimes encountering any barrier to specialty referrals for patients with cancer.

Barriers included health insurance-related factors (eg, restricted provider networks, preauthorization requirements), patient-related issues (inability to pay, excessive travel time), and a lack of surgical subspecialists.

Higher barrier scores were found among international medical graduates, physicians practicing in certain types of practices, and those with less than 90% of their patients in managed care plans. In addition, higher barrier scores were also tied to lower physician career satisfaction among both primary care physicians and specialists.