Medical oncology workload, workforce census, and needs in Spain: two nationwide studies by the Spanish Society of medical oncology

• Ana Fernandez Montes ^[1] ; Elena Elez ^[2] ; Juan de la Haba-Rodriguez ^[3] ; David Paez ^[4] ; Maria Jose Mendez-Vidal ^[5] ; Enriqueta Felip ^[6] ; Alvaro Rodriguez-Lescure ^[7]
  1. [1] Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Complex of Ourense (CHUO), Ourense, Galicia
  2. [2] Medical Oncology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Univesitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona
  3. [3] Medical Oncology Department, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Cordoba
  4. [4] Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Creu I Sant Pau University Hospital, U705, ISCIII Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona
  5. [5] Medical Oncology Department, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Cordoba, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Córdoba
  6. [6] Medical Oncology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona,
  7. [7] Medical Oncology Department, Elche General University Hospital, Alicante

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: Clinical & translational oncology, ISSN 1699-048X, Vol. 26, Nº. 1, 2024, págs. 98-108
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Purpose Growing complexity and demand for cancer care entail increased challenges for Medical Oncology (MO). The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has promoted studies to provide updated data to estimate the need for medical oncologists in 2040 and to analyse current professional standing of young medical oncologists.

    Methods Two national, online surveys were conducted. The first (2021) targeted 146 Heads of MO Departments, and the second (2022), 775 young medical oncologists who had completed their MO residency between 2014 and 2021. Participants were contacted individually, and data were processed anonymously.

    Results Participation rates reached 78.8% and 48.8%, respectively. The updated data suggest that 87–110 new medical oncologist full-time equivalents (FTEs) should be recruited each year to achieve an optimal ratio of 110–130 new cases per medical oncologist FTE by 2040. The professional standing analysis reveals that 9.1% of medical oncologists trained in Spain do not work in clinical care in the country, with tremendous employment instability (only 15.2% have a permanent contract). A high percentage of young medical oncologists have contemplated career paths other than clinical care (64.5%) or working in other countries (51.7%).

    Conclusions Optimal ratios of medical oncologists must be achieved to tackle the evolution of MO workloads and challenges in comprehensive cancer care. However, the incorporation and permanence of medical oncologists in the national healthcare system in Spain could be compromised by their current sub-optimal professional standing.