The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) predicts that by 2020, there will be an 81 percent increase in people living with or surviving cancer, but only a 14 percent increase in the number of practicing oncologists. As a result, there may be too few oncologists to meet the population's need for cancer care. To help address the challenges in overcoming this potential crisis of cancer care, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened the workshop Ensuring Quality Cancer Care through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Care in the 21st Century in Washington, DC on October 20 and 21, 2008.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• WORKSHOP PLANNING COMMITTEE
• NATIONAL CANCER POLICY FORUM
• Reviewers
• Introduction
• Supply and Demand in the Health Care Workforce
  • SHORTAGE OF PHYSICIANS
  • SHORTAGE OF NURSES
  • SHORTAGE OF ALLIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
• Supply and Demand in the Oncology Workforce
  • SHORTAGE OF ONCOLOGISTS
  • SHORTAGE OF ONCOLOGY NURSES
  • SHORTAGE OF OTHER ONCOLOGY HEALTH CARE WORKERS
• Solutions to the Oncology Workforce Shortage
  • NEW MODELS OF CARE SOLUTIONS
  • RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SOLUTIONS
  • EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOLUTIONS
  • RESEARCH SUPPORT SOLUTIONS
  • POLICY SOLUTIONS
• Summary
• References
• Acronyms
• Appendix A Workshop Agenda
• Appendix B Workshop Speakers and Moderators

Rapporteurs: Margie Patlak and Laura Levit.

This study was supported by Contract Nos. HHSN261200611002C, 200-2005-13434 TO #1, and 223-01-2460 to #27, between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration, respectively. This study was also supported by the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and C-Change. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2009. Ensuring Quality Cancer Care Through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Research and Care in the 21st Century: Work shop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.