Preventing Financial Adversity Among Early-Stage Cancer Patients Through Unrestricted Cash (PAYMENT) Pilot Study

Summary

This clinical trial studies whether an unrestricted cash payment program can be used to improve financial and clinical outcomes in early-stage cancer patients with financial concerns. A cancer diagnosis can have poor financial outcomes, and the cost of cancer treatment can lead to high medical debt and financial hardships for the patient and family. Financial hardship during cancer treatment is associated with adverse outcomes including poorer quality of life, lower treatment compliance, more aggressive use of hospital-based care, and worse survival. Newly diagnosed cancer patients with financial concerns may avoid treatment entirely so that they can continue to work and maintain income, provide for their families, or pay rent. An unrestricted cash payment program provides patients with a preloaded cash card once monthly. The patients can choose what to use the card to pay for and may include items like food, rent, or utilities. This provides a period of guaranteed income for the patients and may prevent them from falling into poverty and improve financial and clinical outcomes.

Description

Eligibility

Age range

18+ years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Other
  Electronic Health Record Review

  Ancillary studies

• Other
  Interview

  Ancillary studies

• Other
  Support

  Receive $1000 preloaded cash card

• Other
  Support

  Receive $100 preloaded cash card

• Other
  Survey Administration

  Ancillary studies

Locations (2)