Cancer Patient Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

The development and widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have advanced the field of oncology in a short period of time. Despite this, patient perception regarding this new medication class has not been adequately assessed, which may affect treatment decisions and adherence. The Belief about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) is a validated survey composed of 18 questions which analyzes patient’s beliefs about the necessity of prescribed medication and concern about the potential adverse events caused by the medication. General medication overuse and harm are also determined. This is the first study to utilize the BMQ for patients on ICI therapy

Do the Best Things Really Come To Those Who Wait? An Analysis of Canadian Wait Times and the Decision to Leave

This thesis investigates whether variations in wait times for different medical specialties have a significant impact on the proportion of people who choose to opt out of the public insurance system in their country. Canada presents an interesting case study because it is one of the few nations with a single-payer system for all procedures covered by the public health system. As a result, leaving Canada is the equivalent of opting into the private system in other countries where socialized medicine is available side by side to a private market provider. The results provide some evidence of a positive relationship, but are somewhat sensitive to the chosen sample period