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Problems faced by Oncology clinics

oncology

One of the scariest truths to be accepted is the fact that the patient has cancer. The elements of pain, anguish, depression, and fear take over the body all at once, with the bombardment of such news. Battling cancer is a tough challenge, emotionally as well as physically. The treatment in itself is haunting; chemotherapy and radiation takes a toll on the bodies of the patients. Weakness, hair loss, losing their appetite is too much for a body to take. This is the main reason why there is a lack of trial measures for the new drugs, as patients are very stringent to be a part of the testing process.

Problems faced by Oncology clinics

  1. Fear of the unknown

  2. Lack of transparency

  3. Bitter Competition

  4. Entry barriers of new drugs

  5. Educating the patients as well as the doctors

The unavailability of the testing parameters causes problems for the doctors who are conducting clinical trial for raising the standards of oncology practices. Data reveals that a total of only two to three percent cancer patients take part in the clinical trials readily. There are just not enough to make these trails a success story.

Fear of the unknown

stressed woman

The biggest reason for this low participation by the patients in the clinical trials is the fear of the ultimate result of the trial. These patients are emotionally stressed and too weak to be able to understand the prospective benefits of these trails. On top of that, the trial procedure is not a very pleasant one. The process involves placing of patients into different groups based on randomized selection. One group is the placebo group while the other is the treatment group.

Patients mostly fear being placed in the placebo group where they will not be receiving the treatment, which they wish to receive or rather need. The stake of foregoing necessary treatment is a way too large for any patient who is undergoing the physical as well as mental trauma.

Lack of transparency

Another major reason for reluctance from the patient’s end, for participation in the oncology clinical trials, is the lack of generalized transparency. The patients do not know whether they are receiving any treatment or not. They are also not told about the true objectives of the trial. This raises a sense of doubt in the patients and as a result, they draw away from being tested.

The patients also fear dangerous side effects that remain unidentified to the entire medical industry. Often for oncology patients developing a rapport with their doctor is important for their healing process. Doctors who conduct the trial is generally different, this is another reason why patients do not wish to undergo the clinical trial.

Bitter Competition

Oncology (5)

Medical tourism industry faces many problems as the trials held at different medical centers become bitter. Since there are only a few patients who wish to be a part of the clinical trial, all centers at various location wants them the trail to be conducted at their clinic and therefore influence the patients to be associated with their particular oncology center. This inculcates bitter competition in the medical tourism industry also leaving the patient in a fix.

Entry barriers of new drugs

Robot in laboratory

The entry barriers of new drugs in the markets are very stringent. It is very difficult to fetch all the necessary permissions for introducing a new drug for the treatment in the markets. This involves many complexities and norms that have to be duly followed for introducing the drug.

Educating the patients as well as the doctors

Cooperative doctor

Oncology centers are a vital component of the medical tourism industry. Any failure to perform research and trials in these centers has a direct impact on the medical tourism industry as a whole. One has to understand that for conducting researches there has to be a mutual understanding between the doctors and patients. The doctors need to be educated to understand the fears of the patients and the patients should be educated to understand the importance of these trials.

Summary

Medical tourism industry faces little blows when it comes to performing trials for raising the standards of oncology practices, due to the lack of patients who agree to become a part of the trial program.

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