Do patients with haematological malignancies suffer financial burden? A cross-sectional study of patients seeking care through a publicly funded healthcare system.

Publisher: Pergamon Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 7706787 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-5835 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01452126 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Leuk Res Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Oxford ; New York : Pergamon Press

Cost of Illness*; Delivery of Health Care/*economics ; Financial Stress/*economics ; Hematologic Neoplasms/*economics ; Public Health/*economics; Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Australia ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care/methods ; Delivery of Health Care/statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Financial Stress/psychology ; Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data ; Hematologic Neoplasms/diagnosis ; Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy ; Humans ; Leukemia/diagnosis ; Leukemia/economics ; Leukemia/therapy ; Lymphoma/diagnosis ; Lymphoma/economics ; Lymphoma/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma/diagnosis ; Multiple Myeloma/economics ; Multiple Myeloma/therapy ; Public Health/methods ; Public Health/statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Background: It is increasingly appreciated that some patients with cancer will experience financial burden due to their disease but little is known specifically about patients with haematological malignancies. Therefore, this study aimed to measure financial toxicity experienced by patients with haematological malignancies in the context of a publicly funded health care system.
Method: All current patients diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma, from two major metropolitan health services in Melbourne, Australia were invited to complete a survey capturing; patient demographics, employment status, income sources, financial coping and insurances, OOP expenses and self-reported financial toxicity using a validated measure.
Results: Of the 240 people approached, 113 (47 %) participated and most had leukaemia (62 %). Forty-seven (42 %) participants experienced some degree of financial toxicity using the Comprehensive Score for financial toxicity (COST) instrument. On multivariate linear regression, older age (>65 years, p = 0.007), higher monthly income (>$8000, p = 0.008), not having and being forced into unemployment or early retirement (p < 0.001) remained significantly associated with less financial toxicity.
Conclusion: Financial toxicity is present in Australian haematology patients and those at higher risk may be patients of working age, those without private health insurance and patients that have been forced to retire early or have become unemployed due to their diagnosis.
(Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Erratum in: Leuk Res. 2022 Feb;113:106786. (PMID: 35063283)

Keywords: Cancer; Financial burden; Hematology; Leukemia; Patient outcomes

Date Created: 20211119 Date Completed: 20220228 Latest Revision: 20220228

20240829

10.1016/j.leukres.2021.106748

34798569