A study from the American Cancer Society found higher medical and non-medical financial hardships are independently associated with more ED visits, lower receipt of some preventive services, and worse self-reported health among survivors of cancer.
Results of the study were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (July 2020;59[1]:68-78).
As the cost of health care continues to increase, unmet medical and non-medical financial needs may worsen health disparities among survivors of cancer.
Zhiyuan Zheng, PhD, surveillance and health services research, American Cancer Society, and colleagues designed a study to examine association of both medical and non-medical financial hardships with health care utilization and self-rated health among survivors of cancer. The National Health Interview Survey was used to identify survivors aged 18 to 64 years (n = 4939) as well as aged at least 65 years (n = 6972).
Four levels of medical financial hardship intensities were created that included measures of material, psychological, and behavioral domains. Additionally, five levels of non-medical financial hardship intensities were created that included measures of food insecurity and worry about other economic needs, including housing expenses.
Researchers utilized generalized ordinal logistic regression to examine associations between financial hardship intensities and ED visits, use of preventative services and cancer screenings, and self-rated health.
Survivors of cancer with higher medical financial hardship intensity as well as higher non-medical financial hardship intensity had more ED visits than those with lower intensities in adjusted analyses, regardless of age. Additionally, Dr Zheng and colleagues found that survivors of cancer with higher medical financial hardship intensity had lower influenza vaccine and lower breast cancer screening levels compared with those with lower intensities.
Furthermore, researchers reported similar patters between higher financial hardship intensities and worse self-rated health.
“Given greater patient cost-sharing and rapid development of expensive cancer treatments, the experience of medical and non-medical financial hardship is likely to increase and may exacerbate cancer-related health disparities,” authors of the study concluded.—Zachary Bessette
