Study shows healthcare professionals feel powerless against cancer patients' financial toxicity
AI-translated from the Chinese original · editorially reviewed
According to a study published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, although many healthcare professionals consider it very important to identify and address financial toxicity in cancer patients during treatment, they still feel powerless to do so due to constraints on time, available resources, and specialized financial knowledge.
This qualitative study of cancer care professionals in Australia explored how to improve the care and management of treatment-related financial toxicity. It revealed that financial toxicity is often overlooked in care models, and that healthcare professionals face gaps in resources, training, and understanding in this area.
Who raises patients' financial concerns?
Healthcare professionals vary widely in how they broach patients' financial concerns. Some clinicians proactively discuss them with every patient, while others only raise the topic when a patient or their caregiver faces job loss because of treatment. Clinicians' main reasons for asking are to understand barriers to treatment, gauge patient preferences, and ensure informed consent. Social workers see it as part of their core role, yet in practice have limited knowledge of financial and clinical issues. Nurses, as frontline staff, are often the first people patients turn to when discussing financial concerns.
Whose responsibility is it to help patients manage financial issues?
Although some healthcare professionals prefer a clear division of labor, most view patients' financial issues as a cross-disciplinary problem that all healthcare staff should help address. Social workers are seen as having the most relevant expertise, but they are often hampered by constraints on time, staffing, and specialized knowledge.
The psychological distress of discussing money
With no solutions to offer, many healthcare professionals feel uncomfortable discussing financial issues, which leaves them with a sense of helplessness. To ease this discomfort, the researchers proposed several strategies, such as normalizing financial discussions, raising the topic early, considering the patient's perspective, and keeping the conversation open-ended.
Other barriers
Beyond the issues above, healthcare professionals face other barriers, such as patients' own level of knowledge, case complexity, and limited consultation time.
They went on to list a range of unmet information needs, including financial support services, guided tools, and feedback on the subtle effects that financial toxicity screening has on patients.
This study broadly reflects how seriously healthcare professionals take the financial hardships of cancer patients. Yet there are still gaps in resources and training in this area, and no dedicated resources exist—suggesting this is a promising direction in which to seek solutions.
Sean Chang, General Manager, Media-WIND Health Group (MWHG)