Barriers to next-generation sequencing despite increased utilization: U.S. physician survey results.

Abstract

e18754 Background: The value of using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to inform oncology care decisions is increasingly apparent, yet many challenges persist that may inhibit routine adoption of NGS into clinical care. The purpose of this study was to identify existing barriers to NGS access and possible solutions from the physician perspective. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey, including both closed- and open-ended questions, was sent to a nationally representative sample of oncologists/hematologists, surgeons, and pathologists (N=201). The survey gathered information on physician demographics, practice characteristics, perceived barriers to testing, and strategies for increasing adoption. Results: Over 99% of physicians, 20.5% of whom worked in an academic setting, reported using NGS in the past 12 months, and 73.0% used NGS always or most of the time. Despite this high utilization, 80.1% of physicians experienced at least one barrier to testing. Reimbursement challenges were among the top reported barriers (87.5%), followed by a lack of knowledge of NGS testing methodologies (81.0%), and lacking evidence of clinical utility (80.1%). These barriers were more likely to be reported by pathologists and surgeons compared to oncologists/hematologists. Potential strategies for addressing these differed by specialty: While most oncologists/hematologists (84.0%) reported increased NGS coverage as a top priority, most surgeons (88.0%) prioritized improved multidisciplinary communications, and most pathologists (84.4%) prioritized increased access to educational content on cancer genomics and resources for physicians. Conclusions: Despite the high utilization of NGS among the surveyed stakeholders, several barriers, including limited reimbursement, knowledge gaps, and lack of clinical utility evidence were reported that may impact clinical optimization. Interestingly, the perceived barriers to NGS use varied by specialty, which may be driven by the differing roles these specialists play in patient management. Oncologists/hematologists, who are more likely involved in long-term patient care, were most concerned with identifying strategies to improve coverage of technology, whereas surgeons and pathologists were most concerned with strategies that would improve understanding and education. This research highlights the need for multi-faceted strategies to address barriers to NGS adoption. [Table: see text]