As an oncologist who’s practiced for 35 years in the community where I really know my patients, when you listen to patients, they want to be actively involved?they and their family, or a combination. Sometimes they appoint a family member, but they want to know the truth. They have marketing material, they go on the Internet, but they want to know from their doctor, “What is my health?,” “What’s my disease?” “What’s the comprehensive treatment program?,” “What can I expect from that, short and long term?,” “What will be my health outcome?” And also, “What is my copay responsibility for this package?” In our own practice, we have found it essential that every patient, when they go for individual chemotherapy teaching, also have separate financial teaching. People don’t understand their health plans. They don’t understand their copay responsibilities, and they need time to plan and think about that with their families, and make arrangements, or, when available, apply for copay assistance.
