Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Health Administration

College

College of Health Professions

First Advisor

Kit N. Simpson

Second Advisor

Andrea W. White

Third Advisor

Anil Potti

Abstract

Lung cancer, is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women, and as such, represents a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Survival rates have remained relatively unchanged over the past forty years, yet we seem to be on the verge of a paradigm shift as a result of advances in early screening, diagnosis and better treatment modalities. Lung cancer is different from all other cancers in that 90% of lung cancer cases can be attributed to the conscious behavioral risk factor of smoking, either currently or previously engaged in by the patient. Funding and research has been limited in terms of identifying the unique characteristics and needs of these patients, their physicians and their caregivers. If survival rates improve dramatically, these patients will be managed chronically rather than acutely in the near future. When this occurs, a lung cancer treatment model for the future must be developed in order to more successfully prepare the market place for adapting to these unique patients and their providers who will be operating in a chronic rather than acute care environment. Prior to the development of such a model, the need exists to first develop a comprehensive information map identifying knowledge and knowledge gaps with regards to these patients and providers and their healthcare interactions and individualized needs. Productive patient provider interactions are critical for successful chronic disease management, and therefore several questions must be answered as they relate to treating lung cancer in a more chronic versus acute environment.

Rights

All rights reserved. Copyright is held by the author.

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