Consideration of economic support for parents with cancer-stricken children

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the economic situation of parents with cancer-stricken children and their satisfaction with financial support.

Method: A questionnaire survey was carried out on 197 parents with cancer-stricken children obtained from The Japanese Research into Treatment for Specific Child Chronic Disease in Okayama. Questions included those on demographic characteristics, use of the medical expense subsidy system, satisfaction with economic support, economic burden, and anxiety levels. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with satisfaction with the economic support provided to families with cancer-stricken children.

Results: About 70% of 108 parents were satisfied with the public economic support, although they had economic burden due to costs other than medical treatment, such as their food expenses when hospitalized and transportation expenses during outpatient visits. Additionally, families who aggressively provided information on financial support by medical staff were significantly more satisfied than those who were passively (odds ratio, 10.3; 95% CI, 2.5 to 42.3). On the other hand, they felt anxious about economic burden after the expiration of the public financial support. Okayama Prefecture, which has more children and lower income than the national average, will therefore have a higher economic burden after the economic support expires.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of the positive attitudes of medical staff in providing information about financial, and economic support considering economical regional characteristics and economical situations.