According to data gathered by the National Cancer Institute, approximately 38.4% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes.[1] Since cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, cancer affects almost everyone in some capacity. For this reason, it’s important to seek out opportunities and trustworthy resources for cancer education. At Oncology Specialists of Charlotte, we strive to provide valuable cancer education to our community.
In terms of cancer-care delivery, there are essentially two approaches: community oncology and hospital outpatient. Both approaches have diligent and well-educated doctors and staff that care for the overall well-being of their patients. Also, both approaches have access to the same drugs and therapies. But there are many key differences.
A community oncology practice is a physician-owned private practice that is not part of a hospital system or medical-teaching institution. A community oncology practice may be a single oncologist with one office and a support staff of nurses, pharmacists, etc. But a community oncology practice can also consist of a large group of oncologists with multiple offices.
Hospital outpatient tends to be groups of oncologists owned by a health care system. They are often purchased for financial reasons, for the hospital system to remain competitive, and to compliment other hospital services. Ultimately, most hospital systems in large metropolitan markets offer oncology services to enhance their business model and drive revenue.
In terms of patient experience, community oncology and hospital outpatient also differ. A hospital-based oncologist works for the health-system; therefore, they are often obligated to manage non-clinical administrative and teaching roles. It can be difficult for hospital-based physicians to spend a significant amount of time with patients and for patients to have consistent communication from their oncologist. On the other hand, independent community oncologists spend most of their time working directly with patients and their families. Patient satisfaction is typically higher in independent practices due to the direct patient care that they receive from their oncologists.
One of the most important differences between community oncology and hospital outpatient is the differences in cost. Research clearly indicates that the site of cancer-care delivery has been shown to be associated with significant differences in cost of care. The research reveals that costs were substantially higher for patients treated in hospital-based versus community-based practices.[2] Specifically, the study suggests that the cost of cancer care for patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer treated in the community clinic setting was approximately $8,000 less expensive per month than for those patients treated in the hospital-based practice setting. Cancer is an expensive disease to fight. The most important decision in determining your cost of cancer care is your choice of an oncologist.
Oncology Specialists of Charlotte is a well-regarded private community practice. We pride ourselves on compassionate care that is rooted in our desire to get to know our patients on a personal level and treat them accordingly. We treat each patient as a whole person and not just a cancer diagnosis. We invite you to experience the difference that a community oncology practice can offer.
Would you like more information on Oncology Specialists of
Charlotte? Please call our office today: (704)342-1900
[1] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics
[2] https://www.communityoncology.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Site-of-Care-Cost-Analysis-White-Paper_9.25.17.pdf
published: March 11, 2020, 12:30 p.m.