A mobile app to reduce treatment-related financial burden for cancer patients

There is a fundamental knowledge gap in how to immediately reduce cancer patientstreatment related financial burdenCancer patients pay more out of pocket for their care than those with other chronic illnessesHalf of all elderly cancer patients have high treatment related out of pocket financial burdenThis financial burden has well defined harmful effects even among insured cancer patients includingworsened quality of lifemore than double the risk of bankruptcyand cancer treatment non adherenceHencecontinued existence of this knowledge gap presents a widespread public health problemAs suchthe study team has developed and demonstrated preliminary effectiveness of a theory basedonline intervention called PAPNavigatorPatient Assistance Program Navigatora commercially availableinteractive tool designed to help financial counselors defray patientsout of pocket costsHoweverin busy cancer centers financial counselors do not see most patients until patients have incurred medical debtHencethe objective of this Fast Track application is to develop an innovativepatient facing mobile appBridgethat works with PAPNavigator to facilitate financial assistanceThe central hypothesis is that Bridge will decrease financial burdenprimary outcomeTo test this hypothesisin Phase I we will modify PAPNavigator to be usable directly by patients and evaluate the variant s usability and feasibility among cancer patientsIn Phase II we will develop a mobile appBridgeto help patients plan their expenses during treatmentidentify assistance programsand coordinate with a financial counselorWe will conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare Bridge to standard of care financial assistanceOutcomes will be assessed with the following specific aimsPhase I specific aimsModify PAPNavigator to be usable directly by cancer patientscreating a patient facing variantTest the usability and feasibility of the patient facing variant of PAPNavigator in cancer patientsPhase II specific aimsDevelop a comprehensive mobile appBridgethat accurately estimates expenses during treatment and helps patients accurately identify financial assistanceDetermine the impact of Bridge on reducing patient out of pocket costprimary outcomeDetermine the impact of Bridge on patient knowledge of financial resourcesquality of lifeand subjective financial distresssecondary outcomesThis study is significant because it focuses on financial burdenan unaddressed but widespread problem among cancer patientsThe proposed research is innovative because it is the first to intervene on cancer patientsfinancial burdenBridge has significant commercial potential and offers a compelling value proposition to stakeholders including patientsdrug manufacturersand patient assistance foundations