Clinician Perspectives of COVID-19-Related Cancer Drug Funding Measures in Ontario
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental Section
Methods
3. Results
3.1. Respondent Characteristics
3.2. The Majority of Clinicians Modified Treatment Plans for Their Cancer Patients during the Covid-19 Pandemic
3.3. Clinicians Are Using Broad Range of Management Strategies and Will Continue to Do so in the Coming Months
3.4. Clinicians Require on-Going Support from the Cancer System for Optimal Patient Management during the Pandemic
- Flexibility in drug funding policy measures is required.
- Timely and efficient access to publicly funded drugs is important, especially for oral cancer drugs.
- Address current drug funding gaps to improve care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Addressing pre-pandemic funding issues remains important (e.g., drug wastage, care closer to home, physician shortages).
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Parameter | Result |
---|---|
Sex, n (%) | |
Female | 48 (45.7%) |
Male | 52 (49.5%) |
Not specified | 5 (4.8%) |
Provider Type, n (%) | |
Physicians | 79 (75.2%) |
Medical Oncologist | 50 (47.6%) |
Hematologist | 14 (13.3%) |
Urologist | 10 (9.5%) |
Gynecology Oncologist | 2 (1.9%) |
Surgical Oncologist | 1 (1.0%) |
Radiation Oncologist | 1 (1.0%) |
General Practitioner in Oncology | 1 (1.0%) |
Pharmacist | 22 (21.0%) |
Nurse | 3 (2.9%) |
Other | 1 (1.0%) |
Years in Practice, n (%) | |
<5 years | 26 (24.8%) |
5–10 years | 19 (18.1%) |
10–15 years | 19 (18.1%) |
>15 years | 41 (39.0%) |
Parameter | Result |
---|---|
Practice Setting, n (%) | |
Level 1—Regional Cancer Centre (academic) 1 | 43 (41.0%) |
Level 2—Regional Cancer Centre (academic) | 25 (23.8%) |
Level 3—Affiliate centre (community) | 29 (27.6%) |
Level 4—Satellite site 2 (community) | 8 (7.6%) |
Regions of Ontario, n (%) | |
1. Erie St. Clair | 2 (1.9%) |
2. South West | 3 (2.9%) |
3. Waterloo Wellington | 14 (13.3%) |
4. Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant | 16 (15.2%) |
5. Central West | 4 (3.8%) |
6. Mississauga Halton | 3 (2.9%) |
7. Toronto Central | 15 (14.3%) |
8. Central | 5 (4.8%) |
9. Central East | 12 (11.4%) |
10. South East | 9 (8.6%) |
11. Champlain | 11 (10.5%) |
12. North Simcoe Muskoka | 4 (3.8%) |
13. North East | 5 (4.8%) |
14. North West | 2 (1.9%) |
Tumor Types Treated, count (%) 3 | |
All Solid Tumors | 21 (8.4%) |
All hematology malignancies | 29 (11.6%) |
Breast | 28 (11.2%) |
CNS | 4 (1.6%) |
Genitourinary | 32 (12.8%) |
Gastrointestinal | 30 (12.0%) |
Gynecologic | 17 (6.8%) |
Head and Neck | 7 (2.8%) |
Lung | 30 (12.0%) |
Leukemia | 9 (3.6%) |
Lymphoma | 11 (4.4%) |
Myeloma | 8 (3.2%) |
Melanoma | 20 (8.0%) |
Other | 4 (3.8%) |
Proportion of Patients Requiring Treatment Plan Changes | No. of Respondents (%) |
---|---|
<25% | 57 (54.3%) |
25–50% | 35 (33.3%) |
50–75% | 8 (7.6%) |
>75% | 5 (4.8%) |
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Naipaul, R.D.; Mercer, R.E.; Chan, K.K.W.; Yeung, L.; Forbes, L.; Gavura, S. Clinician Perspectives of COVID-19-Related Cancer Drug Funding Measures in Ontario. Curr. Oncol. 2021, 28, 1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28020103
Naipaul RD, Mercer RE, Chan KKW, Yeung L, Forbes L, Gavura S. Clinician Perspectives of COVID-19-Related Cancer Drug Funding Measures in Ontario. Current Oncology. 2021; 28(2):1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28020103
Chicago/Turabian StyleNaipaul, Rohini D., Rebecca E. Mercer, Kelvin K. W. Chan, Lyndee Yeung, Leta Forbes, and Scott Gavura. 2021. "Clinician Perspectives of COVID-19-Related Cancer Drug Funding Measures in Ontario" Current Oncology 28, no. 2: 1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28020103
APA StyleNaipaul, R. D., Mercer, R. E., Chan, K. K. W., Yeung, L., Forbes, L., & Gavura, S. (2021). Clinician Perspectives of COVID-19-Related Cancer Drug Funding Measures in Ontario. Current Oncology, 28(2), 1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28020103