Oncologists Uncover New Findings on the Effects of SDOH on Cancer Patients

According to new research from Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, social detriments of health (SDOH) play an important role in patient outcomes.

More than 90% of oncologists said SDOH such as financial security, access to food, and social isolation are significantly impacting outcomes for cancer patients. The findings provide important insights at a time when the impact of these factors on health are being examined more closely due to the OVID-19 pandemic. These findings were released in the seventh edition of Oncology Insights, a research-based report series analyzing the views of more than 160 U.S. oncologists.

Two-thirds of the participating oncologists said at least half of their patients are negatively impacted by SDOH. Financial insecurity/lack of health insurance was the most cited barrier for patients by far at 83%. Following, access to transportation (58%) and health literacy (53%) were also among the top responses.

The report also featured oncologists’ views on the growing number of cancer survivors. 86% of the respondents agreed that they are seeing a greater number of cancer survivors in their practice than they did five years ago. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents said they need more training in supporting the needs of cancer survivors. Finally, most of the participating oncologists anticipate hiring more advanced practice providers to help manage the growing number of cancer survivors.

The findings in this report are based on web-based surveys conducted in advance of a Cardinal Health Summit held in February 2020, with additional responses also collected via web-based surveys in March and April 2020.