Cancer centers across the country are facing a dual challenge: growing patient caseloads and a national shortage of oncologists.
For patients, these pressures translate into longer wait times, delayed treatments, and strained provider relationships, critical concerns in a field where time and trust are essential. In fact, a recent JAMA Network Open study found that nearly 75% of patients reported delays in cancer care due to prior authorization issues, with most experiencing waits of two weeks or longer.
For oncology leaders, it means a critical question: how can we preserve timely, high-quality cancer care when the workforce is already stretched thin?
Advanced practice providers. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants play a vital role in strengthening oncology capacity. When integrated strategically, they ease pressure on oncologists, support patient throughput, and help ensure care remains seamless even during periods of high demand.
Why Oncology Needs APPs Now
Clinics, hospitals, and other facilities that regularly use NPs and PAs report improved efficiency. A recent survey by the American Society of Clinical Oncology found that more than 60% of physicians reported that APPs enhanced practice efficiency by handling routine visits and reducing interruptions. At the same time, the Association of American Medical Colleges continues to project a years-long physician shortage, a forecast that positions APPs as a vital part of any oncology access strategy.
Typical challenges, like delayed new-patient appointments, backlogged follow-ups, and time-consuming patient calls, can all be addressed with APP support. These clinicians offer hands-on, skilled coverage that helps keep operations running smoothly.
Practical, Measurable Support
A review in the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology outlines how APPs contribute across research and daily operations, especially when embedded into oncology workflows:
- Symptom management: Early intervention keeps patients out of the emergency department and reduces unscheduled visits.
- Follow-up and surveillance: Standardized visits, handled by APPs, ensure continuity while freeing oncologists for more complex cases.
- Treatment management visits: With standing orders and templates, APPs safely and efficiently manage chemotherapy side-effect checks and treatment education.
- Clinical trial support: APPs assist with toxicity monitoring, documentation, and patient coordination, helping keep research protocols on track.
When APPs handle these responsibilities, physicians can focus on consults and complex care, and patient access improves.
Efficiency, Cost, and Burnout Relief
Medical directors and practice managers often ask: Will adding APPs improve workflow? Will it make financial sense? Will it reduce burnout? The answer on all fronts is yes, and here’s how:
- Better use of physician time: When routine visits shift to APPs, oncologists spend more time where their expertise is most needed.
- Lower staffing costs: APPs cost significantly less than physicians. Locum tenens APPs, in particular, offer short-term coverage without long-term financial commitments. When placed by an oncology-specialized staffing partner, the process is even more efficient. Credentialing, onboarding, and team alignment are already built in.
- Reduced burnout: APPs help protect physician time by limiting unscheduled disruptions and reducing after-hours inbox load, creating a more predictable clinic day and supporting retention.
Overcoming Integration Challenges
Adding APPs to your workflow isn’t just about hiring. It’s about structured integration. Oncology leaders can:
- Create role sheets that define visit types, escalation pathways, and standing orders, aligned with state scope-of-practice laws.
- Launch team huddles to align expectations and workflows between physicians, APPs, and schedulers.
- Develop a mentorship and onboarding structure with daily or weekly check-ins for the first 30 to 90 days.
- Use three core metrics to track early success: third next available appointment (access), percentage of visit types handled by APPs (uptake), and unplanned escalations or ED visits (safety).
Each of these supports intentional, high-functioning integration and improves clinic performance over time.
Looking Ahead: APP Roles Are Expanding
Across the country, APPs are stepping into more than just routine visits. Their roles now include managing the survivorship clinic, implementing clinical quality initiatives, and coordinating trials. Scope-of-practice regulations continue to evolve at the state level, so it’s essential to consult reliable trackers, especially when staffing across multiple regions.
Facilities that invest in APP role clarity today will be better prepared to scale tomorrow. And by working with a dedicated oncology staffing partner, you gain access to pre-vetted, oncology-trained APPs who can step into these evolving roles seamlessly.
Ready to restore access and protect physician time? Cancer CarePoint specializes in placing experienced oncology nurse practitioners and physician assistants in locum tenens and direct-hire roles, matched to your exact needs.
Contact us today to explore your custom coverage options.