Out-of-pocket cost conversations and financial navigation for people with cancer
Effectiveness of Out-of-Pocket Cost COMmunication and Financial Navigation (CostCOM) in Cancer Patients
This project tests whether personalized cost conversations plus one-on-one financial navigation help people with cancer manage treatment expenses and stay on their care plans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11242080 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be randomly assigned to either enhanced usual care or the CostCOM program at a community oncology clinic. CostCOM includes four one-hour counseling sessions where a counselor uses a price estimator to explain your expected out-of-pocket costs, helps find financial assistance programs, and offers financial counseling. The study plans to enroll about 720 people with cancer at NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) sites and will track money worries and whether cost leads people to miss or stop treatment. You would work with trained navigators and the team will collect information about your finances, treatment adherence, and well-being over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a cancer diagnosis who are receiving care at participating community oncology clinics and who may be concerned about out-of-pocket treatment costs are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose treatment costs are already fully covered with minimal out-of-pocket expenses or those not receiving active cancer treatment may be less likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce financial hardship and help more patients stay on their recommended cancer treatments by improving cost transparency and access to assistance.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research and pilot work suggest that cost communication and financial navigation can reduce financial distress, but randomized trials in community oncology are limited.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sadigh, Gelareh — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Sadigh, Gelareh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.