Among U.S. patients diagnosed with breast, prostate, lung, or colorectal cancer from 2004 to 2016, those who were uninsured or had Medicare or Medicaid were less likely than privately insured patients to receive surgical care at high-volume hospitals. The findings are published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The study also showed that for uninsured and Medicaid patients with colorectal cancer, the likelihood of receiving care at high-volume hospitals improved after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The authors noted that volume of a hospital and clinical outcomes are closely related—with evidence of significantly lower death rates at high-volume hospitals.
“Ultimately, if patients with private insurance get care at better hospitals, then they will have better outcomes. Policy needs to address these issues urgently, otherwise insurance-based disparities will persist or get worse,” said senior author Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
An accompanying editorial notes that additional studies should look into patient preferences and social determinants of health that may affect decisions and the ability to obtain high-quality surgical care.
Additional Information
Link to Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.33237
Link to Editorial: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.33234
About Journal
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online.
Follow us on Twitter @JournalCancer
About Wiley
Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.