Financial and family burden associated with cancer treatment in Ontario, Canada.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the financial and family resources burden associated with the treatment of cancer. A questionnaire was developed to determine the direct monthly "out-of-pocket costs" (OOPC), the indirect costs, and the associated perceived family burden.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire using a quota sample from five cancer clinics in Ontario, Canada was given to 282 cancer patients (74 breast, 70 colorectal, 68 lung, and 70 prostate). Monthly OOPC were obtained for: drugs, home care, homemaking, complementary and alternative medicines, vitamins and supplements, family care, travel, parking, accommodations, devices, and others. The questionnaire asked if OOPC for treatment were a burden, and if others took time from work to provide caregiving.


RESULTS
The mean monthly OOPC was $213, with an additional $372 related to imputed travel costs. For those patients who responded that the burden was "significant" (16.5%), their OOPC was $452. In the case of patients responding that their burden was "unmanageable" (3.9%), their OOPC was $544. The survey showed that 35.6% of patients required others to take time from work and this was higher in the under-65 category. The mean number of days lost from work in the previous 30 days for these caregivers was 7 days.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest the financial burden is problematic for 20% of this sample. The caregivers' lost time from work influence this burden, and for 36% of this sample, it amounts to one third of their working days in any given month. Policies and programs to address these gaps are needed.
Longo
Christopher J
CJ
Health Services Management, DeGroote School of Business (MGD 210), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. cjlongo@mcmaster.ca
Fitch
Margaret
M
Deber
Raisa B
RB
Williams
A Paul
AP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D012107:Research Design; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires