Cancer is both a terrible, terrifying disease and big business.  With costs of care rising and delivery of medicine changing, independent private practice groups are increasingly uncommon and sole practitioners are rare.   Cancer care is now becoming consolidated as a system of larger institutions and networks, whether academic or private. And they build business with marketing and a keen eye on competition.

These institutions are targeting market niches with major campaigns. Smaller, local centers may focus on the opportunity to get cancer care close to home. Other centers feature cutting edge care and clinical trials. Still others highlight integrative care and holistic, emotional support. 

So … how does a patient choose where to go for treatment?  Are the treatment methods effective?  How do the facility’s results compare to outcomes elsewhere?  How can you determine if the care is as good as the facility claims? 

Our upcoming #LCSM tweet chat on Thursday, January 29 at 8PM ET/5PM PT will address what impacts cancer patient decisions about where to receive care. Obviously, different people select all kinds of cancer centers because they prioritize different things. So we’ll turn to questions around marketing cancer care and how important and effective it is. Specifically, we’ll cover the following questions during the hour:

T1: What factors are most important in deciding where to seek cancer care? Referring doc? Friends? Marketing? Web ratings?

T2: Do you believe marketing claims about cancer care? What impressed? Disappointed?

T3: Many marketing campaigns are case testimonials. Are personal stories still more effective than stats?

T4: Does access to newest drugs, technology and clinical trials motivate patients to drive >1 hr or get on a plane?

T5: Do most patients make the best choice for their care? Are some misled by bad referrals or inaccurate advertising?

To join, just search for hashtag #LCSM during the hour of the chat and add "#LCSM" to your tweets to add comments (or go to tchat.io and sign in). Hope to see you there!

References

Do Billboards Influence Cancer Decisions?

Is Cancer Hospital Advertising Misleading Patients?
(access requires free registration on Medscape)