From what I’ve seen it’s “normal” in private practice to push everything to outpatient follow up.
In academic centers with fellows — obviously more robust inpatient follow up. Which I think is fair. It’s easy to forget what it’s like being a resident or hospitalist, nobody knows jack about the disease or the whacky drugs we use. Forget about other specialties.
Cancer is scary, people are ignorant, which breeds a lot of fear in non Heme onc doctors and also the patients who can sense when a doc is out of their depth.
It’s surprising how badly people manage pain from visceral crises or dismiss patients as lost causes because of the C Word.
Had a pt in full on heart failure — but a premature conclusion was drawn that the dyspnea is from lung cancer... a stage 1B Adeno... you can’t make this up.
I often find my role is: being the patient advocate against the hospital machinery, allaying fears of patients and doctors, and ensuring patients receive adequate and timely treatment — new or old diagnosis, oncologic issue or not or whatever the case may be.