The following is a summary of “Economic Evaluation of a Nonmedical Financial Assistance Program on Missed Treatment Appointments Among Adults With Cancer,” published in the October 2023 issue of Oncology by Biddell, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to retrospectively evaluate the clinical and economic impact of a program providing nonmedical financial assistance on missed treatment appointments among patients receiving cancer treatment at a large, Southeastern public hospital system.
Patient electronic health records, program records, and cancer registry data were used to examine the program’s impact on rates of missed radiation therapy and infusion chemotherapy/immunotherapy appointments 180 days after treatment initiation. Propensity weighting was employed to estimate the program’s effect, stratified by treatment appointment type. A decision tree–based economic model was developed to conduct a cost-consequence analysis from the health system perspective in a hypothetical cohort over a 6-month time horizon.
Among 1,347 patients receiving radiation therapy between 2015 and 2019, 53% (n = 715) had ≥1 no-show, and 28% (n = 378) received program assistance. Receipt of any assistance was associated with a 2.1 percentage point decrease in the proportion of no-shows (95% CI, 0.6 to 3.5), corresponding to a 51% decrease in the overall mean no-show proportion. Under the current funding model, the program is estimated to save the health system $153 USD per missed appointment relative to not providing non-medical financial assistance. Among 1,641 patients receiving infusion chemotherapy/immunotherapy, 33% (n = 541) received program assistance, and only 14% (n = 223) had ≥1 no-show. The financial assistance program did not significantly affect no-show proportions among infusion visits.
Using a novel approach, the study retrospectively evaluated a nonmedical financial assistance program for patients undergoing active cancer treatment. Findings supported investment in programs addressing patients’ non-medical financial needs, particularly those undergoing intensive radiation therapy.