The State of Oncology Practice in America, 2018: Results of the ASCO Practice Census Survey

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the US hematology and medical oncology practice landscape and to report findings of the sixth annual ASCO Oncology Practice Census survey.

Participants and methods: ASCO used Medicare Physician Compare data to characterize oncology practices in the United States. Practice size, number of care sites, and geographic distribution were determined. Trends in the number and size of practices from 2013 to 2017 were examined. All US oncology practices were targeted for the survey; survey responses were linked to the practices identified from Physician Compare to augment results and assess generalizability.

Results: More than 2,200 hematology/oncology practices provided care to adult patients in 2017. We observed annual decreases in the number of practices and annual increases in practice size. Of the 2017 practices, 394 (18%) completed the survey and accounted for 58% of the US hematologist/oncologist workforce (n = 7,203). Respondents tended to be larger and encompass more sites of care than nonrespondents. Surveyed practices cited payers (58%), competition (38%), and staffing (37%) as primary sources of strain. Prior authorization was dominant among payer pressures (78%). Electronic health records remained a burden on practices, with only 15% reporting full interoperability.

Conclusion: The results of ASCO's 2017 survey indicate that oncology practices are challenged by day-to-day operations, often related to payment, reimbursement, and competition. Our findings likely represent conservative estimates of such burdens because they are driven by responses from midsized to large-sized organizations, which have lower relative administrative burden, greater market influence, and potentially better ability to adapt in a changing health care environment.