What will care for people with cancer look like in the future? Geert Kazemier, oncological surgeon at Amsterdam UMC and chairman of Oncology Networks Netherlands, answers that question in this video.
As we age, the risk of developing cancer increases. Lifestyle and environment also play a role, says Kazemier. An additional factor is the tight labor market for finding and retaining health care workers. What does this mean for patients in the future? Kazemier is optimistic, saying that the quality and quantity of care is up to par and won't be much different in the next 5 to 10 years. “However, there is always room for improvement, of course.” Kazemier thinks mainly about concentrating and spreading care. Patients benefit when the same surgeons do certain operations more often. “If I do an operation 10 times, I'm better than if I do an operation twice a year.”
Close if possible, further away if necessary
Kazemier advocates concentrating the treatment of rare tumors or complex surgeries in centers that have a lot of experience with them. “It is possible that patients will then have to travel a little further for some tumor treatments. Close if possible, far away if necessary,” Kazemier says. Any follow-up admissions after admission to a university medical center may also be closer to home again. Here, the patient sees his own doctor with whom the treatment was started. For the patient, it should feel like one team, a doctor and a nurse at his or her hospital nearby and, at the same time, a doctor and a nurse at the university medical center in the region. Through multidisciplinary consultations in which health care providers from both university medical centers and regional hospitals work together, the patient receives the best care. Also as president of Oncology Networks Netherlands, Kazemier sees that working together in regional networks contributes to the highest quality care for people with cancer. Kazemier: “For example, all regional oncology networks share with each other their best practices that other regions can adopt or deploy for other tumor types. This way we learn from each other and the networks become stronger.”
Role of Amsterdam UMC
Kazemier believes that the region is asking for Amsterdam UMC to show what the added value of our university medical center is. “We need to bring out more clearly what we stand for, what we are extra good at, what we can additionally help our patients in the region with.” With the concentration and distribution of care, regional cooperation and looking across regions, Amsterdam UMC helps patients have a better chance of survival with a good quality of life. Amsterdam UMC also feels a social responsibility. “We continuously conduct research into the best treatment for patients. We also look at whether anti-cancer treatment with less chemotherapy or less immunotherapy could not be just as effective and thus sometimes help the patient just as well or even better.” Amsterdam UMC is also looking at whether it can develop its own drugs to save costs. “This is all about keeping healthcare affordable and accessible,” Kazemier concludes.