Study Finds Radiation Oncology Facilities Run by Non-specialists Negatively Affect Medical Training, Costs

A survey of 81 radiation oncology medical training programs in the United States, along with a review of literature relating to the effect on patient care and health care costs of non-radiation oncology physician owned treatment centers, revealed a loss of patients referred to training programs and an overuse of expensive treatments, according to a study in the April Red Journal.

Mitchell S. Anscher, M.D., Barbara Anscher, J.D., and Cathy J. Bradley, Ph.D., discovered that ownership of radiation oncology facilities by non-radiation oncologists was widespread, according to the 73 percent of facilities that responded to the survey. Half of the respondents reported this arrangement in their communities, along with a significant reduction in patient volumes at their facilities 87 percent of the time. A total of 27 percent also related that educational facilities were hard-pressed to train residents due to decreased referrals.

“Furthermore, the literature suggests that ownership of radiation oncology facilities by non-radiation oncologists is associated with both increased utilization and increased costs but is not associated with increased access to services in traditionally underserved areas,” the authors wrote.