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Setting the stage for universal financial distress screening in routine cancer care
Author(s) -
Khera Nandita,
Holland Jimmie C.,
Griffin Joan M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.30940
Subject(s) - medicine , pace , distress , financial distress , cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , intensive care medicine , cancer screening , health care , finance , family medicine , clinical psychology , economic growth , paleontology , geodesy , economics , biology , financial system , geography
Financial burden from cancer treatment is increasingly being recognized as a threat to optimal access, quality, and outcomes of cancer care for patients. Although research in the area is moving at a fast pace, multiple questions remain unanswered, such as how to practically integrate the assessment and management of financial burden into routine health care delivery for patients with cancer. Although psychological distress screening for patients undergoing cancer treatment now is commonplace, the authors raise the provocative idea of universal screening for financial distress to identify and assist vulnerable groups of patients. Herein, the authors outline the arguments to support screening for financial burden in addition to psychological distress, examining it as an independent patient‐reported outcome for all patients with cancer at various time points during their treatment. The authors describe the proximal and downstream impact of such a strategy and reflect on some challenges and potential solutions to help integrate this concept into routine cancer care delivery. Cancer 2017;123:4092–4096. © 2017 American Cancer Society .