Longo Christopher J, Fitch Margaret, Deber Raisa B, Williams A Paul
Health Services Management, DeGroote School of Business (MGD 210), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Support Care Cancer. 2006 Nov;14(11):1077-85. doi: 10.1007/s00520-006-0088-8. Epub 2006 May 30.
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.
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.
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.
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.
确定与癌症治疗相关的经济和家庭资源负担。设计了一份问卷，以确定每月的直接“自付费用”（OOPC）、间接费用以及相关的家庭负担感受。
采用配额抽样法，从加拿大安大略省的五家癌症诊所选取样本，对282名癌症患者（74名乳腺癌患者、70名结直肠癌患者、68名肺癌患者和70名前列腺癌患者）进行了自填式问卷调查。获取了每月的自付费用，包括：药品、家庭护理、家务、补充和替代药物、维生素和补充剂、家庭照料、交通、停车、住宿、设备及其他费用。问卷询问了治疗的自付费用是否构成负担，以及是否有其他人请假来提供照料。
每月平均自付费用为213美元，另有372美元与估算的交通费用相关。对于那些认为负担“较重”（16.5%）的患者，其自付费用为452美元。对于那些认为负担“难以承受”（3.9%）的患者，其自付费用为544美元。调查显示，35.6%的患者需要他人请假来提供照料，65岁以下患者的这一比例更高。这些照料者在前30天平均误工天数为7天。
这些结果表明，20%的样本存在经济负担问题。照料者的误工影响了这一负担，对于36%的样本而言，这相当于他们在任何一个月工作日的三分之一。需要制定政策和方案来弥补这些差距。
