‘The bills that were coming in…’: out of pocket costs during relocation for specialist treatment for haematological malignancies

Abstract

The paper provides evidence of the categories of financial burden experienced by haematology patients who have to relocate for specialist treatment by detailing the extensive range of OOP costs. The expectation is that the itemisation of OOP cost variables will contribute to future efforts of quantification.

Findings on Family Issues During Relocation for Hematology Care

“…Because of the limited number of cancer services in rural areas, most patients are required to travel significant distances to access cancer care (Butow et al, 2012;McGrath, 1999;Zucca, Boyes, Girgis, & Hall, 2009). The findings indicate that relocation for specialist treatment happens at a time when patients are emotionally vulnerable from the shock of diagnosis or relapse and the confrontation with a potentially life-threatening condition.…”

Cancer support services: Are they meeting the needs of rural radiotherapy patients?

“…Treatment involves administering daily doses of radiation to the patient over a number of weeks; regimens differ by type of cancer but usually last for a period of between 4 and 8 weeks (Sharma, Vangaveti, & Larkins, ).Treatment is delivered for five consecutive days, followed by a 2‐day break, with each daily session taking between 10 and 15 min. Rural patients often have long journeys to receive treatment in a distant and unfamiliar location, and may be required to relocate for the duration of their treatment away from family and support networks which can present emotional (Hegney, Pearce, Rogers‐Clark, Martin‐McDonald, & Buikstra, ; Waran, ), financial (Hegney et al., ; McGrath, ; Smith, ) and/or logistical difficulties in terms of the disruptions to everyday family life (Smith, ). Challenges associated with undergoing cancer treatment in urban centres are well documented (Baldwin et al., ; Gillan et al., ; Hegney et al., ; The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, ; Ward et al., ; Wheeler et al., ).…”

Cancer survivors' experiences with financial toxicity: A systematic review and meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies

“…We reduced the number of papers to 98 by reading the titles and abstracts. Subsequently, an additional 84 studies were excluded after reading the full texts, and 14 studies remained …”

“…Other data collection methods included flexible interviews, open‐ended questionnaires, focus group interviews, and nominal group technique methods . Seven studies recruited participants from multiple sites . The total number of cancer survivors included in this systematic review was 325.…”

“…This synthesized finding was derived from 26 findings and was grouped into two categories: medical expenditures and nonmedical expenditures. Six studies noted a range of medical expenditures, including hospital bills, consultant fees, primary care physician fees, diagnostic costs, prescription charges, over‐the‐counter medications for symptom control and side effect treatment, expensive treatments (eg, hematological disorders, immunosuppressants), complementary therapies, home‐use medical devices, and personal items (eg, wigs, prosthetic bras, incontinence products) . Six studies noted nonmedical expenditures including but not limited to telephone bills, travel and transport, overnight accommodations, hospital parking, healthy foods, nutritional supplements, healthy physical exercise, eating out, double grocery bills, heating bills, childcare, homecare or housekeeping, home modifications or maintenance, and relocation (for special treatment) …”