Financial Education for Young Adult Cancer Patients
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byMelissa Beauchemin
Age: < 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Columbia University
Disqualifiers: Unable to complete survey, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?The overall aims of this study are to address two important gaps in care for AYA cancer patients: 1) a financial toxicity measurement tool to assess AYA-specific needs, and 2) an intervention for mitigating financial toxicity in this population. Aim 1 involves adapting the COSTA measure and assessing the psychometric properties of the measure for a racial/ethnically diverse group of AYAs. Aim 2 and 3 involve the development and pilot testing of our novel financial education/ navigation (FE/FN) intervention.
Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Financial education / navigation intervention for young adult cancer patients?
Research shows that financial navigation programs can help reduce financial toxicity (financial hardship due to medical costs) in cancer patients by improving their understanding of treatment costs and managing out-of-pocket expenses. These programs have been shown to improve patient outcomes by providing financial counseling and support, which can help patients cope with the economic burden of cancer care.
12345Is financial education for young adult cancer patients safe?
The research on financial education and navigation programs for cancer patients does not report any safety concerns, suggesting that these programs are generally safe for participants.
12346How does financial education differ from other treatments for young adult cancer patients?
Financial education for young adult cancer patients is unique because it focuses on reducing 'financial toxicity' (the financial burden of cancer treatment) by improving patients' understanding of treatment costs and providing financial counseling. Unlike traditional medical treatments, this approach aims to enhance financial self-efficacy and support, helping patients manage out-of-pocket expenses and navigate financial challenges associated with cancer care.
12357Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for young adults (ages 15-39) diagnosed with cancer within the last 18 months, and their caregivers who handle finances. Participants must speak English or Spanish and not be on hospice care. Those unable to complete financial surveys or with conditions that make participation unsafe are excluded.Inclusion Criteria
I am an adolescent or young adult participating in this study.
I was diagnosed and treated for cancer within the last 18 months.
Caregiver/financial partner participants:
+5 more
Exclusion Criteria
Unable to complete financial survey questions or contraindicated (as outlined in Protection of Human Subjects)
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Financial Toxicity Assessment
Adaptation of the COST measure and assessment of psychometric properties for a diverse group of AYAs
6 months
Multiple visits for assessment and data collection
Intervention
Pilot test of the financial education/navigation intervention delivered to AYAs
6 months
Regular contact with community partners
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in financial toxicity scores and intervention acceptability
6 months
Participant Groups
The study aims to create a tool for measuring financial stress in young adult cancer patients and test an educational program designed to help manage the financial burden of cancer treatment. It involves adapting a measurement tool and piloting a novel financial education/navigation intervention.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Patient Financial Education / NavigationExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Individuals who screen positive will all move forward to receive the intervention. This intervention includes partnering with community-based organizations to deliver financial education, connection to resources, and counseling tailored to individual patients and spouses for 6-months.
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Columbia University Irving Medical CenterNew York, NY
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Columbia UniversityLead Sponsor
Patient Advocate FoundationCollaborator
References
Navigating financial toxicity in patients with cancer: A multidisciplinary management approach. [2023]Approximately one-half of individuals with cancer face personal economic burdens associated with the disease and its treatment, a problem known as financial toxicity (FT). FT more frequently affects socioeconomically vulnerable individuals and leads to subsequent adverse economic and health outcomes. Whereas multilevel systemic factors at the policy, payer, and provider levels drive FT, there are also accompanying intervenable patient-level factors that exacerbate FT in the setting of clinical care delivery. The primary strategy to intervene on FT at the patient level is financial navigation. Financial navigation uses comprehensive assessment of patients' risk factors for FT, guidance toward support resources, and referrals to assist patient financial needs during cancer care. Social workers or nurse navigators most frequently lead financial navigation. Oncologists and clinical provider teams are multidisciplinary partners who can support optimal FT management in the context of their clinical roles. Oncologists and clinical provider teams can proactively assess patient concerns about the financial hardship and employment effects of disease and treatment. They can respond by streamlining clinical treatment and care delivery planning and incorporating FT concerns into comprehensive goals of care discussions and coordinated symptom and psychosocial care. By understanding how age and life stage, socioeconomic, and cultural factors modify FT trajectory, oncologists and multidisciplinary health care teams can be engaged and informative in patient-centered, tailored FT management. The case presentations in this report provide a practical context to summarize authors' recommendations for patient-level FT management, supported by a review of key supporting evidence and a discussion of challenges to mitigating FT in oncology care. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022;72:437-453.
Lessening the Impact of Financial Toxicity (LIFT): a protocol for a multi-site, single-arm trial examining the effect of financial navigation on financial toxicity in adult patients with cancer in rural and non-rural settings. [2022]Almost half of the patients with cancer report cancer-related financial hardship, termed "financial toxicity" (FT), which affects health-related quality of life, care retention, and, in extreme cases, mortality. This increasingly prevalent hardship warrants urgent intervention. Financial navigation (FN) targets FT by systematically identifying patients at high risk, assessing eligibility for existing resources, clarifying treatment cost expectations, and working with patients and caregivers to develop a plan to cope with cancer costs. This trial seeks to (1) identify FN implementation determinants and implementation outcomes, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of FN in improving patient outcomes.
Pilot Feasibility Study of an Oncology Financial Navigation Program. [2019]Few studies have reported on interventions to alleviate financial toxicity in patients with cancer. We developed a financial navigation program in collaboration with our partners, Consumer Education and Training Services (CENTS) and Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), to improve patient knowledge about treatment costs, provide financial counseling, and to help manage out-of-pocket expenses. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility and impact of this program.
Interventions to address cancer-related financial toxicity: Recommendations from the field. [2023]Addressing financial toxicity among cancer patients is a complex process that requires a multifaceted approach, particularly for rural patients who may face additional cost-related barriers to care. In this study, we examined interventions being implemented by financial navigation staff at various cancer centers that help address financial toxicity experienced by oncology patients.
Coverage and Cost-of-Care Links: Addressing Financial Toxicity Among Patients With Hematologic Cancer and Their Caregivers. [2023]Label="PURPOSE">This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an oncology financial navigation (OFN) intervention, Coverage and Cost-of-Care Links (CC Links), among patients with hematologic cancer and their caregivers who are at increased risk of experiencing financial toxicity (FT).
The Cancer Financial Experience (CAFÉ) study: randomized controlled trial of a financial navigation intervention to address cancer-related financial hardship. [2023]There is an urgent need for evidence on how interventions can prevent or mitigate cancer-related financial hardship. Our objectives are to compare self-reported financial hardship, quality of life, and health services use between patients receiving a financial navigation intervention versus a comparison group at 12 months follow-up, and to assess patient-level factors associated with dose received of a financial navigation intervention.
Understanding, measuring, and addressing the financial impact of cancer on adolescents and young adults. [2020]The financial impact of cancer treatment among adolescents and young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years) is deep and long lasting. Compared with other age groups, because of their life stage, AYAs are particularly vulnerable to the adverse economic effects of cancer treatment, also known as financial toxicity. Clinical manifestations of cancer-related financial toxicity include interrupted work and income loss, accumulated debt, treatment nonadherence, avoidance of medical care, and social isolation. Effective clinical interventions should include efforts to increase financial self-efficacy as well as direct support. Measures that are valid, reliable, multidimensional, and age-appropriate are needed to study and address financial toxicity in the AYA population.