Pilot Study of Financial Navigation Program for Improving Financial Toxicity Among Breast Cancer in China

Fudan University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Financial Navigation; Financial Toxicity; Breast Neoplasm Female

Treatments: Behavioral: Financial Navigation; Other: Usual Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06355440

2312288-16

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this pilot study is to access the feasibility and impact of a financial navigation program on improving financial toxicity among patients with breast cancer in China.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is the intervention feasible and acceptable among participants?
• Does the intervention enhance participants' cost-related health literacy?
• Does the intervention reduce participants' financial toxicity?

Researchers will compare the financial navigation program with usual oncology care to preliminarily evaluate its effectiveness.

Participants will receive comprehensive information support, including:

• Strategies on patient-physician costs discussion
• Skills for inquiring and tracking treatment-related costs
• Basic knowledge about health insurance
• Guidance on accessing and applying for financial assistance
• Suggestions for returning to normal life and work
• Strategies for holding a financial-related family meeting

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• (1) Newly diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing surgery during this admission;
• (2) Female, age 18 years or older;
• (3) Receiving or expected to receive one or more of the following therapies: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy;
• (4) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 0-2;
• (5) Provided informed consent to participate in this study.

Exclusion criteria

• (1) Diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
• (2) Presence of any serious psychiatric disorders;
• (3) Cognitive impairments;
• (4) Difficulty in reading, writing, or communicating in Chinese.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Financial Navigation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive financial navigation service. During their hospitalization, participants will receive face-to-face information support with material booklets. Following discharge, weekly financial navigation information will be sent via WeChat for 1 month. The financial navigation encompasses comprehensive information support: * Strategies on patient-physician costs discussion * Skills for inquiring and tracking treatment-related costs * Basic knowledge about health insurance * Guidance on accessing and applying for financial assistance * Suggestions for returning to normal life and work * Strategies for holding a financial-related family meeting

Treatment:

Behavioral: Financial Navigation

Usual Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will receive usual care during hospitalization and regular follow-up after discharge. Participants have the freedom to utilize any financial resources, but financial navigators do not offer comprehensive information support. When participants actively inquire about cancer treatment-related costs or financial planning strategies, financial navigators will answer their questions.

Treatment:

Other: Usual Care