![]() The smaller volume of patients may have been able to access timely care despite pandemic-related health care disruptions. ![]() That might seem counterintuitive, but one explanation could be that fewer patients were diagnosed with advanced cancer during that period and that some patients potentially delayed surveillance follow-up visits. Surprisingly, at a national level, we did not find evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with longer time to starting systemic treatment. 3 It looked at the impact of COVID-19 on time-to-treatment initiation of systemic therapy for patients with advanced cancers. It’s difficult to draw any early conclusions.įor example, we collaborated on a study led by investigators at the University of Pennsylvania-one of our academic partners-and this study was presented at ASCO during the 2021 meeting. But what we’re dealing with now-in the treatment landscape in 2021 versus what we encountered prepandemic-is very different. We continue to track our data longitudinally, so there’s never going to be a pause in investigating. Have you continued to look at these data in period since the study ended? Have the patterns you observed continued? Adamson is a principal quantitative scientist at Flatiron Health and the lead author of the study that appeared in AJMC ®.ĮBO: Your study covered a period from 2011 through January of 2019. She is now the Medical Affairs executive director at Genentech. ![]() Maignan is an oncology nurse practitioner who served as senior clinical director of Research Oncology at the time of this interview. In an interview with Evidence-Based Oncology™ ( EBO), Flatiron Health’s Kathleen Maignan, MSN, NP and Blythe Adamson, PhD, MPH, discussed the AJMC ® study, what the data have continued to show, and Flatiron’s research plans. In states with Medicaid expansion, this gap closed to the point where there was no significant difference (49.7% vs 50.5% adjusted difference, –0.8 PP P = .605). Investigators found that, in states without Medicaid expansion, Black patients were less likely to receive timely treatment than White patients-43.7% of the Black patients started systemic first-line therapy within 30 days of diagnosis, compared with 48.4% of White patients (adjusted difference, –4.8 percentage points (PP) P < .001). ![]() The study covered 30,310 patients, including 12.3% who were documented as Black. Results were published in the July issue of The American Journal of Managed Care ® ( AJMC ®). Today, Flatiron is expanding its footprint in health equity and disparities research, with both community and academic partners.Ī team from Flatiron Health recently published data first presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 1 which highlighted how Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has narrowed the gap between Black and White patients in receiving timely care for cancer. However, the current focus on disparities is shaping research priorities.įlatiron Health is well known for its digital products that help community oncology practices collect and analyze data, provide insights for patient care, and promote clinical trial participation. It’s a topic at most scientific meetings, and health plans and pharmaceutical manufacturers are building teams to address this issue.įor investigators who work with real-world evidence, health care disparities have been on the radar for some time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenge of reducing disparities in health care delivery and outcomes soared to the top of the policy agenda. ![]()
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