The financial burden often accompanying a cancer diagnosis, coupled with consequent unmet health-related social needs like food insecurity (FI), may be associated with increased trips to the emergency department (ED). Ongoing screening of these patients to help identify areas to intervene and, perhaps, reduce these trips is warranted.
Researchers examined screening surveys from 569 patients who had been receiving outpatient treatment for lymphoma and presented the results of this analysis at the 66th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition held in San Diego, CA.1
The researchers noted that 113 of these patients completed the financial toxicity (FT) survey that addressed the “harmful personal financial burden faced by patients receiving cancer therapy”; 456 completed the unmet health-related social needs (HRSN) survey, which included FI as part of the analysis; and 106 patients completed both. The median age of the survey participants was 64 years, 60% were White, 20% were Hispanic, and 6% were Black.
Among 113 patients completing the FT survey, 63, or more than half, screened positive for high FT. These patients were more likely to have visited the ED at least once compared with those with low/moderate FT (32% vs 12%; P=.01), and 38% were hospitalized at least once compared with 28% of those with low/moderate FT, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=.26).
Of 456 patients completing the HRSN survey, 58 screened positive for FI. Patients with FI were significantly more likely to visit the ED compared with those without FI (48% vs 29%; P<.01). The researchers noted no significant difference in hospitalization rates based on FI status (P=.10).
The researchers noted a strong overlap between financial and food-related vulnerabilities.
“Systematic screening for FI, FT, or other HRSN is a critical step toward addressing inequities in cancer care delivery and reducing outcome disparities among vulnerable populations,” the researchers concluded.
Reference
- Bhatt KA, DeStephano DM, Khurano RK, et al. Association between food insecurity, financial toxicity, and healthcare utilization in patients with lymphoma. Presented at: 66th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. December 7-10, 2024; San Diego, CA. Abstract 5042.