New systems: the restructuring of cancer care delivery and economics.
OBJECTIVE
To review and discuss the economic and care delivery implications of the healthcare reform currently being debated.


METHODS
Projections are based on synthesis of multiple scholarly, professional, and governmental sources of information.


RESULTS
Future projections regarding the hallmarks of healthcare reform (e.g., universal access, fewer payors, rationing of care), changes in practice settings, and novel communications technologies are discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
Opportunities for nurses resulting from these changes include roles as resource allocators, cost-benefit analysis, cancer system liaisons, satellite-program builders, and quality-assessment experts.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes will challenge nurses to assume multiple responsibilities as clinicians, administrators, educators, and researchers who will need to integrate input from numerous sources to make decisions that take into account competing and contradictory factors.
Harvey
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Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, SC.
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000639:trends*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D012380:Role; D014481:United States