The Cost of Care: Financial and Social Factors in Cancer Management

Abstract

It is known among clinicians, including advanced practitioners (APs), that non-medical factors will influence health outcomes and contribute to health disparities. Factors such as socioeconomic position, access to health-care and education systems, and living conditions impact whether a patient will be provided similar treatment, care, or resources as others with the same condition. These are referred to as social determinants of health (SDOHs), and negative social factors lead to patients experiencing deleterious outcomes (Pinheiro et al., 2022).