Just as the report was being readied for publication, the World Health Organisation began to consider Europe as the active centre of the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-March 2020, more than 250 million people in Europe were in lockdown. Every Day Counts was published when European countries had passed the first peak of the pandemic and restriction measures were being eased. But in the meantime, all stakeholders had experienced the impact of COVID-19 on access to cancer care during the first wave of the pandemic.
With the second wave underway, many of the participating organisations involved in the development of the initial report proposed this addendum “Every Day Counts – The impact of COVID-19 on patient access to oncology care in Europe”. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has been an extremely challenging time for healthcare systems and patient access to oncology care, it has forced healthcare practitioners to examine how they can best deliver care in a changed environment, and many of the learnings will be useful even after the pandemic has passed.
The aim of this publication is to offer a comprehensive overview of the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients and their access to care, and to generate key learnings which can make cancer care delivery more resilient to disruptions and more sustainable in the post-pandemic world. This publication is the result of a review of grey and academic literature. Findings were complemented, reviewed, and validated by the European Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board group, comprising representatives from health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, healthcare professional associations, patient organisations, policy makers, payers and biopharmaceutical companies.
The project was initiated and financed by the EFPIA Oncology Platform (EOP). The EOP is a collaboration between 18 companies from the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe. It was launched in 2016 and aims to combine forces to improve cancer patient outcomes across the region. The aim of this publication is to offer a comprehensive overview of the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients and their access to care, and to generate key learnings which can make cancer care delivery more resilient to disruptions and more sustainable in the post-pandemic world.
This publication is the result of a review of grey and academic literature. Findings were complemented, reviewed, and validated by the European Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board group, comprising representatives from health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, healthcare professional associations, patient organisations, policy makers, payers and biopharmaceutical companies.
The project was initiated and financed by the EFPIA Oncology Platform (EOP). The EOP is a collaboration between 18 companies from the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe. It was launched in 2016 and aims to combine forces to improve cancer patient outcomes across the region.
THE PUBLICATION IS ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS:
Acute Leukemia Advocates Network
Associação de Enfermagem Oncológica Portuguesa
Associacao Melanoma Portugal
Associazione Italiana Di Oncologia Medica
Belgian Society of Medical Oncologists
Warsaw University of Technology Business School
Central and Eastern European Society of Technology Assessment in Healthcare
Digestive Cancers Europe
European Association of Demato Oncology
European Association of Nuclear Medicine
European Cancer Patient Coalition
European Union of Private Hospitals (UEHP)
EVITA – Cancro Hereditário
Institute of Mother and Child, Warschaw
International Brain Tumour Alliance
Lymphoma Coalition Europe
Vision Zero – Gemeinsam gegen Krebs
Youth Cancer Europe
