Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Aug;19(8):654-661.
doi: 10.1200/OP.22.00631. Epub 2023 Jun 9.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Resources of Frontline Oncology Support Personnel Regarding Financial Burden in Patients With Cancer

Katherine E Reeder-Hayes  1 , Caitlin B Biddell  2 , Michelle L Manning  1 , Donald L Rosenstein  1   3 , Cleo A Samuel-Ryals  1   2   4 , Jennifer C Spencer  2   5 , Sophia Smith  6 , Allison Deal  1 , Mindy Gellin  1 , Stephanie B Wheeler  1   2
Affiliations

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Resources of Frontline Oncology Support Personnel Regarding Financial Burden in Patients With Cancer

Katherine E Reeder-Hayes et al. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: Financial navigation services support patients with cancer and address the direct and indirect financial burden of cancer diagnosis and treatment. These services are commonly delivered through a variety of frontline oncology support personnel (FOSP) including navigators, social workers, supportive care providers, and other clinic staff, but the perspective of FOSPs is largely absent from current literature on financial burden in oncology. We surveyed a national sample of FOSPs to understand their perspectives on patient financial burden, resource availability, and barriers and facilitators to assisting patients with cancer-related financial burden.

Methods: We used Qualtrics online survey software and recruited participants using multiple professional society and interest group mailing lists. Categorical responses were described using frequencies, distributions of numeric survey responses were described using the median and IQR, and two open-ended survey questions were categorized thematically using a priori themes, allowing additional emergent themes.

Results: Two hundred fourteen FOSPs completed this national survey. Respondents reported a high awareness of patient financial burden and felt comfortable speaking to patients about financial concerns. Patient assistance resources were commonly available, but only 15% described resources as sufficient for the observed needs. A substantial portion of respondents reported moral distress related to this lack of resources.

Conclusion: FOSPs, who already have requisite knowledge and comfort in discussing patient financial needs, are a critical resource for mitigating cancer-related financial burden. Interventions should leverage this resource but prioritize transparency and efficiency to reduce the administrative and emotional toll on the FOSP workforce and reduce the risk of burnout.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Perceived consequences of patient financial distress from the perspective of frontline oncology support personnel (N = 214)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Oshima SM, Tait SD, Rushing C, et al.: Patient Perspectives on the Financial Costs and Burdens of Breast Cancer Surgery. JCO Oncol Pract 17:e872–e881, 2021 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zafar SY, McNeil RB, Thomas CM, et al.: Population-based assessment of cancer survivors’ financial burden and quality of life: a prospective cohort study. Journal of oncology practice / American Society of Clinical Oncology 11:145–150, 2015 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wheeler SB, Spencer JC, Pinheiro LC, et al.: Financial Impact of Breast Cancer in Black Versus White Women. J Clin Oncol 36:1695–1701, 2018 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Samuel CA, Spencer JC, Rosenstein DL, et al.: Racial differences in employment and cost-management behaviors in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 179:207–215, 2020 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Samuel CA, Spencer JC, Manning ML, et al.: Racial Differences in Financial Toxicity among Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients, 11th AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved. New Orleans, LA, 2018

Publication types