DKH Project: Financial Effects of Tumor Disease (FIAT)

Overview

Project term: 2020–2023
Project partners: Heidelberg University Hospital, Bielefeld University, Jena University Hospital
Sponsor: Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid, DKH)

Project description

The central objectives of the FIAT project are to develop a questionnaire to record the self-reported financial distress of cancer patients and pilot a screening program. In Germany, there has been very little data recorded on the financial and associated socioeconomic impact that cancer has on individual patients. However, this data is vital for developing systematic, coordinated consultation and support. The extent of objective financial burden and the subjective ramifications it has for individual patients has never been defined or systematically logged. This is in part due to the lack of a uniform and validated survey instrument. The envisaged questionnaire is therefore intended to supplement the existing range of measurement tools available in oncological care. The ultimate goal is to make it easier to record, communicate and address patient descriptions of the burden of the disease itself as well as its financial consequences (e.g. by offering individual consultation).

Questionnaire development procedure

develop an item pool
review the comprehensibility of the items using cognitive pretests
develop and empirically test a draft version of the questionnaire
revise the draft of the questionnaire; develop, review and validate a final version
publish the final version to meet the prerequisite for use in an oncological setting

Developing a valid measurement instrument for recording the financial impact of cancerous tumors first necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors associated with the financial burden of cancer. To this end, the project partners teamed up to create a systematic literature review, which offers a comprehensive overview of risk factors in universal healthcare systems.

Team