Open AccessFinancial burden faced by families due to out-of-pocket expenses during the treatment of their cancer children: An Indian perspective
Author(s) -
M.S. Latha,
Jeyanth Sai,
S Ashwini,
Sunitha Ramaswamy,
Mahalakshmi Rajan,
Julius Xavier Scott
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
indian journal of medical and paediatric oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.229
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 0975-2129
pISSN - 0971-5851
DOI - 10.4103/0971-5851.203493
Subject(s) - medicine , perspective (graphical) , finance , actuarial science , family medicine , economics , artificial intelligence , computer science
Life-saving cancer therapy is costly and may result in financial burden for these families. Financial costs for treating childhood cancer care are traditionally assessed based on the amount spent for diagnostic tests, hospitalization, and chemotherapy. The financial costs for travel, accommodation, out-of-pocket expenses for food, phone bills, and loss of income due to reduction or termination of parental employment are hidden nonmedical expenses that are rarely accounted for. Studies on the financial implications of pediatric cancer treatment are based on the Western model of healthcare with good government/state insurance coverage and hence literature on lifestyle implications for families in developing nations with limited resources is still scarce.