Treating the Whole Patient With Cancer: The Critical Importance of Understanding and Addressing the Trajectory of Medical Financial Hardship
Menée aux Etats-Unis à partir de questionnaires auprès de 380 patients atteints d'un cancer colorectal métastatique (âge médian : 59,9 ans), cette étude estime l'incidence cumulée des difficultés financières majeures et identifie les facteurs associés
The costs of cancer treatment have grown dramatically over the past decades (1-4). Among patients with health insurance coverage, cost-sharing, including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, has also increased, which resulted in increases in out-of-pocket burden that outpaced general inflation (1,4). As a result, patients and their families may need to make trade-offs between paying for their cancer care and basic household needs, such as food, housing, and utilities. Patients may also delay or forgo recommended cancer care as well as other needed medical services because they can no longer afford it. Thus, screening for and addressing financial hardship prior to and throughout cancer treatment is important for patients, providers, cancer centers, payers, and state and federal health policy makers.