Reformulating Financial Problems and Interventions to Improve Psychosocial and Functional Outcomes in Cancer Patients and Their Families

Abstract

Preventive, planned, and proactive interventions for cancer patients' and families' financial problems are more likely to be effective in the short run or over time to prevent or reduce negative psychosocial effects and compromised health or functional outcomes. Furthermore, financial problems that afflict one area may set off or aggravate negative outcomes in the other. These complicated and fractious biopsychosocial effects may fluctuate over time with changing financial stresses and strains and, in turn, lead to interventions that are delayed, crisis-driven, or focused excessively on relief of symptoms rather than on resolution of problems because inadequate health insurance and the need for financial interventions and referrals may not be apparent for a long time, if at all. Thus, targeted interventions and referrals may be crucial for the financial problems that undergird or worsen a host of changing biopsychosocial problems. The author concludes by recommending three financial interventions for gradual biopsychosocial improvement: (1) expand the scope of financial referrals, (2) focus on enhancing patients' accommodation, adaptation, coping, and compliance with care when improvement in the level of financial stress appears to be limited, and (3) educate elderly patients about cost-saving measures that may reduce their financial worries about the burden of future health care needs.

Key Words:

• Financial stress and strain
• psychosocial and functional outcomes
• patient age
• psychological accommodation
• compliance with care