A Touchy Subject: Can Physicians Improve Value by Discussing Costs and Clinical Benefits With Patients?

A dramatic rise in the costs of health care—and cancer care in particular—has occurred over the last decade. Increasingly, these costs are being passed on to patients in the form of cost sharing, which can have a catastrophic effect on the financial well-being of patients and their families. This article advises physicians on the importance of patient-provider interaction about costs as a means to improving value in cancer care.