Radiation oncologists work as liaisons between various medical professionals to ensure that patients receive the most suitable type of care. They are responsible for administering radiation therapies to kill cancer cells in patients. Depending on the diagnosis, a patient may be receiving standard care or accessing novel methods offered by clinical trials. Overall, radiation oncologists are key experts in allowing patients to have a comfortable and high-quality experience during their treatments that can last several weeks or months.
Recently, there has been concern for several medical disciplines due to a shortage of workers and a decline in students choosing a career path in medicine. While reports of burnout were caused by temporary issues like the COVID pandemic, a large percentage of healthcare workers aren’t returning to work. This phenomenon highlights possible changes that must happen in policy to improve work-life balance and the patient experience.
For radiation-related sectors, there has been a surge in retirements and a shrink in newly enrolled students, threatening the number of candidates to replace those who leave. Additionally, this downtrend suggests that the discoveries and understanding of cancer therapy and other related topics in this field will dwindle as interest dies down. This would stifle patients from receiving the best care possible and increase fatalities.
While several factors are causing issues in the medical field, health policy represents a possible solution to the problems at hand. By implementing updated procedures for standard care, oncology and many other disciplines could become more human-centered. These changes will attract talent and ensure that patient outcomes improve. To understand what barriers keep patients from receiving optimal care, the social determinants of care must be explained.
Social determinants of health are non-medical factors like economic status, education, social and community circumstances, health care quality and accessibility, and the surrounding environment a patient lives in. These factors influence health outcomes and create disparities in the effects a patient may encounter when living with medical issues.
In cancer patients, these factors can also include transportation capabilities and safe housing. The status of these details can shift a patient from surviving cancer to thriving. Considering the importance of these factors, many medical professionals are working to implement a standardized system that will allow health providers to better connect underserved populations to the most advanced kinds of care. For these changes to become a reality, medical professionals must engage in policy advocacy. As doctors have many responsibilities, they can’t transform a system by themselves, nor can they help every patient to their best ability. This is why health policy advocacy is a clear path to ensuring that social determinants don’t threaten the livelihood of communities.
In radiation oncology, there is a divide between what solutions should be implemented. Dr. Anna Brown MD, MPhil, a highly experienced radiation oncologist operating in Wisconsin hopes to rectify this issue.
Dr. Brown has completed numerous peer-reviewed articles and participated in research surrounding the social determinants of health. She believes that the field of radiation oncology can become more human-centered through effective policy changes and a unified approach. In her opinion, medical professionals are rarely trained on the process a patient experiences when receiving treatment for diseases. The industry’s tendency to overlook patients’ difficulties and goals causes them to feel undervalued and not supported. This results in distrust and could increase negative outcomes if cancer patients avoid medical care.
Dr. Brown sees radiation oncology as a field that has the potential to make a difference in patient’s lives on a wide scale. However, she believes the focus should shift from exciting medication and technology breakthroughs towards ensuring that all patients receive the basics. In rural areas similar to where Dr. Brown lives, most patients struggle to access treatments and see specialized doctors that increase their chances of beating their diagnosis. Others in resource-limited areas face similar problems, which is why Dr. Brown aims to address these disparities in her field.
As an alumnus of Duke University and Cambridge, Dr. Brown has worked hard to obtain roles at leading cancer research facilities and medical organizations. She has a national role at the American Medical Association for the American College of Radiation Oncology and is active on multiple committees and boards. She will be launching a podcast focused on health policy to keep the conversation going about what action can be taken by professionals and patients. Her ultimate goal is to revolutionize radiation oncology health outcomes through updated health policies.
“My lifelong dream was to become a radiation oncologist. Now that I’m a board-certified practitioner, I’m extremely passionate about providing the highest quality of care to every patient regardless of their background,” says Dr. Brown, “However, for all patients to begin accessing high-quality care, advanced technologies, and medicines, decision-makers must create and intentionally invest in resources that will enable systems and processes to facilitate that care, not prevent it, and that’s something I’m working very hard to do.”
Media Contact
Name: Anna Brown
Email: [email protected]
