Describing financial toxicity among cancer patients in different income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2-2024
Abstract
Background There is limited evidence of financial toxicity (FT) among cancer patients from countries of various income levels. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of objective and subjective FT and their measurements in relation to cancer treatment.Methods PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched to find studies that examined FT. There was no limit on the design or setting of the study. Random-effects meta-analysis was utilized to obtain the pooled prevalence of objective FT.Results Out of 244 identified studies during the initial screening, only 64 studies were included in this review. The catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) method was often used in the included studies to determine the objective FT. The pooled prevalence of CHE was 47% (95% CI: 24.0-70.0) in middle- and high-income countries, and the highest percentage was noted in low-income countries (74.4%). A total of 30 studies focused on subjective FT, of which 9 used the Comprehensive Score for FT (COST) tool and reported median scores ranging between 17.0 and 31.9.Conclusion This study shows that cancer patients from various income-group countries experienced a significant financial burden during their treatment. It is imperative to conduct further studies on interventions and policies that can lower FT caused by cancer treatment.
Keywords
direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost, indirect medical cost, catastrophic health expenditure, perceived financial hardship, systematic review, meta-analysis
Divisions
Parasit
Funders
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia GGPM grant [GGPM-2023-020],Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Publication Title
Frontiers in Public Health
Volume
11
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Publisher Location
AVENUE DU TRIBUNAL FEDERAL 34, LAUSANNE, CH-1015, SWITZERLAND