Value-Based Care in Systemic Therapy: The Way Forward

Abstract

The rising cost of cancer care has shed light on an important aspect of healthcare delivery. Financial toxicity of therapy must be considered in clinical practice and policy-making. One way to mitigate the impact of financial toxicity of cancer care is by focusing on an approach of healthcare delivery that aims to deliver value to the patient. Should value of therapy be one of the most important determinants of cancer care? If so, how do we measure it? How can we implement it in routine clinical practice? In this viewpoint, we discuss value-based care in systemic therapy in oncology. Strategies to improve the quality of care by incorporating value-based approaches are discussed: use of composite tools to assess the value of drugs, alternative dosing strategies, and the use of Health Technology Assessment in regulatory procedures. We propose that there must be a greater emphasis on value of therapy in determining its use and its cost.

Keywords: cancer; cost of care; financial toxicity; systemic therapy; value; value-based.