Subscribe to FeedThe Chemotherapy Conspiracy?
Thanks to 416style for permission to use this Photo.
It’s been widely reported that oncologists are still trying to find ways to profit from treating their patients with expensive drugs, even though Medicare has cracked down on such profits two years ago (by limiting the markups docs can charge to 6% above the cost of the drug).
Doctors can get around the limitations in reimbursement by simply offering drugs to more patients, whether or not they’ll benefit from them. “There’s pretty good evidence at this point,” said Dr. Richard Deyo, professor of medicine at the University of Washington and an expert on health care spending, “that there are plenty of patients for whom there’s little hope, who are terminally ill, whom chemotherapy is not going to help, who get chemotherapy.”
Some doctors claim that the Medicare limitations are going to result in a lack of access to needed drugs for patients in rural areas, for example, although an unspecified federal commission cited by the article found this not to be the case.
In such a climate, how common are honest conversations between doctors and patients about the risks and benefits (not to mention the costs) of chemotherapy in terminally ill patients? I’d like to see studies on utilization of chemotherapy in settings where oncologists can’t profit from use of the drugs (and I’m not sure where those are, given multiple payers, including Medicare, available in most care settings in the US), compared to those where they can. The extra-credit part would be comparing real health outcomes - not 5-year survival! - in different settings.
Dr. Emily DeVoto
Creator of The Antidote Blog
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger
*Dr. Emily DeVoto is an independent health care consultant, epidemiologist, and journalism groupie. She is exploring ways to promote, via the Internet, the use of evidence to improve health care and health journalism. We’re honored to introduce the perspectives of such a distinguished, honorable, and dedicated health care professional to the AU student community. Emily has been very generous in allowing us this opportunity and we extend our deepest appreciation to her. Emily’s blog, The Antidote, is one of the most respected resources in the health care field and we encourage you to visit it and comment. Thanks Emily!
