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REDUCTIONS IN CANCER SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA DUE TO THE PANDEMIC: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CANCER CARE WORKFORCE
Supportive Care in Cancer ; 30:S24, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1935801
ABSTRACT
Introduction To investigate immediate and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in Australia and to provide context for consideration of system-level and oncology workforce challenges, we examined provision of a range of cancer services during 2020. Methods As a marker of cancer control activity, we examined sentinel diagnostic and therapeutic procedures relating to 14 cancer types using claims data for the Medicare Benefits Schedule, a listing of medical services subsidised by the Australian Government. Results Impacts of COVID-19 on cancer-related services were observed early in the pandemic with observed number of quarterly services notably lower than expected for most cancer types nationally. Some recovery of services through to March 2021 followed with modest increases in quarterly services above that expected for some cancer types. However, sustained impacts overall for 2020 were observed for many services with 8% (163,595) fewer diagnostic and 9% (14,600) fewer therapeutic procedures observed nationally in 2020 than were expected from historical data.1 Conclusions Recovery of service numbers may indicate workload increases for an already over-burdened oncology workforce and may contribute to physical and psychological fatigue in service providers.2 Potential implications of sustained impact on services include later stage at diagnosis, increased treatment complexity and poorer outcomes. Understanding of ongoing impacts on care delivery can inform cancer control planning beyond the pandemic.
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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Supportive Care in Cancer Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Supportive Care in Cancer Year: 2022 Document Type: Article