Physician Experience and Attitudes Toward Addressing the Cost of Cancer Care.

Purpose: We surveyed US cancer doctors to examine current attitudes toward cost discussions and how they influence decision making and practice management.

Methods: We conducted a self-administered, anonymous, electronic survey of randomly selected physician ASCO members to evaluate the frequency and nature of cost discussions reported by physicians, attitudes toward discussions of cost in clinics, and potential barriers.

Results: A total of 333 of 2,290 physicians responded (response rate [RR], 15%; adjusted RR after omitting nonpracticing physician ASCO members, 25%), Respondent practice settings were 45% academic and 55% community/private practice.

Patient experience and attitudes toward addressing the cost of breast cancer care.

Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology views patient-physician discussion of costs as a component of high-quality care. Few data exist on patients' views regarding how cost should be addressed in the clinic.

Methods: We distributed a self-administered, anonymous, paper survey to consecutive patients with breast cancer presenting for a routine visit within 5 years of diagnosis at an academic cancer center.

Promise and perils of guidelines in quality cancer care.

In an era of guideline propagation, this case helps raise the question, Does quality cancer care now require that we always follow guidelines exactly, or do some circumstances still require a more individualized approach?

Conflict of interest disclosure in off-label oncology clinical trials.

Purpose: We sought to determine the prevalence, reliability, and predictors of conflict of interest (COI) and funding disclosure statements for studies of anticancer targeted therapies conducted in the off-label prescribing setting.

Methods: As a part of a federally funded systematic review, manuscripts were included in the analysis if they were used to support one of 19 indications for cancer targeted therapies that were off-label but reimbursable according to compendia published in 2006 or before. Studies were categorized according to trial design, trial results, average impact factor of journals, and presence of COI and funding disclosure statements.

Self-reported help-seeking behaviors and treatment choices of adolescents regarding acne.

Acne vulgaris is a common condition affecting adolescents that they often choose to treat on their own rather than seek out and follow medical advice. Using data from an anonymous survey administered to 1,214 students in public middle and high schools in New Jersey, we compared the self-reported acne frequency, severity, and beliefs of students based on their help-seeking behaviors, treatment choices, and treatment adherence. Chi-square analyses were performed for data comparison.

Self-reported acne severity, treatment, and belief patterns across multiple racial and ethnic groups in adolescent students.

Acne vulgaris is a common condition among adolescents regardless of age, gender, and race. We compare the frequency, severity, help-seeking behavior, treatment, and beliefs about acne among students based on race, ethnicity, gender, and age. Anonymous surveys were administered to 1,214 students aged 10-19 years of varied gender, race, and ethnicity in public middle and high schools in New Jersey.

Health disparities among different ethnic and racial middle and high school students in sun exposure beliefs and knowledge.

Racial and ethnic differences may influence sun protection behavior. Adolescent students were administered a sun protection questionnaire and educational program. White people had the greatest pretest knowledge which resulted in the highest score, and blacks and Hispanics scored lower.

The comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of vitreoretinal interventions.

Purpose Of Review: The comparative effectiveness of medical interventions has recently been emphasized in the literature, typically for interventions in a similar class. Value-based medicine, the practice of medicine based on the value (improvement in quality of life and/or length of life) conferred by medical interventions, allows a measure of comparative effectiveness of interventions across all of health care, no matter how disparate. This report discusses recent comparative effectiveness studies in the vitreoretinal literature.

Skin sun-acne tutorial evaluation among middle- and high-school students in central New Jersey.

Background: Because of the perception that a tan is healthy and attractive, it has been difficult to educate adolescents about sun protection.

Objective: We sought to examine whether the skin sun-acne tutorial, an hour-long, hands-on educational intervention that combined acne education with sun-protection education, increased knowledge of skin care, sun protection, and acne.

Methods: In all, 1214 middle- and high-school students were taught, tested, and surveyed.