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David Eagle, MD

Articles by David Eagle, MD

Patient satisfaction data can give practices insight into their operations and make specific, practice-level adjustments accordingly, and with aggregated data we can gain insights into global practice responsiveness and patient perceptions regarding care.

In Part II, I focus on ideas and specific programs that may slow the growth of spending while, it is hoped, minimizing the impact on what we all want: sustainable access to high-quality therapy and continued innovation. Finally, I will consider another fundamental question: Is current spending worth it?

In Part I of this article, I will focus on our current understanding of drivers of cost for oncology care and the effect of the high cost on patients, as well as on how patients value treatment.

Nationally, the number of drug shortages has tripled since 2005. Our county’s hospice agency has experienced shortages of liquid morphine, scopolamine patches, and medications to relieve nausea. Other generic drug shortages in our clinic have included paclitaxel, leucovorin, and doxorubicin. We have had limited ability to order fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin.

Compared with almost any other career, the path to becoming a physician requires a substantial upfront commitment of time, effort and, of course, cost. For oncology specifically, an additional ten years of training after college are required before seeing your first patient independently. In a sense, the day you finish your fellowship, you are already fully “committed.”