Planning for 2020: increasing elderly population poses huge challenges in c...( Advances in communication and inform...),Health

Advances in communication and information technologies (ICT) will help address communication and information gaps for those who are ICT literate, however, a digital divide will persist. There will be much greater awareness of the importance of cancer being managed by a multi-disciplinary team composed of competent professionals working in a centre of excellence. ICT advances will help bring specialist care closer to the patients home. Where this is not possible, informed patients will seek out specialist care and be willing to travel across European borders to access this care.

Demographic changes will mean that greater numbers of cancer patients will live alone without social support. As the prevalence of cancer increases, the cost of delivering cancer care will escalate rapidly and may grow beyond what most socialised health care systems can bear. Expenditure on cancer services will have to be strictly rationed according to agreed priorities.

What are the implications of these developments for cancer patients" Most cancer patients in 2020 will be elderly some very healthy, others extremely frail. It is likely that there will be greater disparities between those that have and those that have not equity in access to cancer treatment will be difficult to guarantee. Well educated, internet savvy elderly cancer patients with good social support will be much more capable of demanding access to optimal care. Policy makers need to plan and invest today to ensure that there will be an adequate infrastructure in place to care for the vastly increased numbers of cancer patients in 2020. Patients should have a voice in policy discussions to make sure that future cancer services address disparities and guarantee a minimum quality of care for all, Ms Redmond will conclude.

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