Considering late effects costs in radiotherapy funding

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Current radiotherapy funding models primarily focus on curative and palliative care, neglecting the broader costs and patient experience post-treatment.
• The existing service provision inadequately addresses the identification and management of long-term side effects, leading to patients utilizing inappropriate services.
• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are increasingly responsible for the entire cancer pathway, presenting an opportunity to integrate supportive oncology and late effects services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the limitations of current radiotherapy funding models.
• To advocate for the integration of supportive oncology and late effects services within the cancer care pathway.
• To emphasize the need for better data, including Patient Reported Data (PRD), to inform service development and research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of current radiotherapy funding and service provision.
• Examination of the impact of long-term side effects on patient quality of life and healthcare costs.
• Exploration of the potential benefits of supportive oncology and late effects services for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

Main Results:

• Radiotherapy's full impact on patient wellbeing and associated costs are obscured by narrow funding models.
• Lack of specialized services for late toxicity results in suboptimal patient care and increased costs.
• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can achieve patient and economic advantages by implementing supportive oncology and late effects services.

Conclusions:

• Policy and service provision must evolve to encompass the full spectrum of radiotherapy care, including post-treatment quality of life and late effects management.
• Enhanced data collection, particularly Patient Reported Data (PRD), is crucial for understanding patient needs and optimizing supportive care.
• Integrating supportive oncology and late effects services presents a viable strategy for improving patient outcomes and managing healthcare costs within the evolving cancer care landscape.