Many physicians report encountering barriers when referring cancer patients to specialty care, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Cancer.

Daniel H. Kwon, from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues analyzed responses (1,562 primary care physicians [PCPs] and 2,144 specialists) to the multiregional Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium physician survey. Assessed physician-reported barriers to cancer specialist referrals included: restricted provider networks, preauthorization requirements, patient inability to pay, lack of surgical subspecialists, and excessive patient travel time.

The researchers found that 3 in 5 physicians reported always, usually, or sometimes encountering any barrier to cancer patient specialty referrals. International medical graduates, physicians practicing in solo or government-owned practices, and physicians with <90% of their patients in managed care plans had higher barrier scores than others (P < 0.05), after adjusted analyses. These high barrier scores were also tied to lower physician career satisfaction among both PCPs and specialists (P < 0.05).

"Uniform systems for providing and tracking timely referrals may enhance care and promote physician career satisfaction," the authors write.