ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
Step forward: how health insurance mitigates financial toxicity in cancer care in Pakistan.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Oncologists' insights and solutions on navigating financial toxicity: an exploratory study in Pakistan.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Financial toxicity in insured cancer patients: association with global health status in a prospective Brazilian Cohort.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Observational
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Abstract
aimCancer imposes a significant financial burden on patients. This study evaluates the role of health cards in reducing financial toxicity (FT) and improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychological distress among cancer patients in Pakistan.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, between March and June 2024. A total of 672 cancer patients (336 with and 336 without health cards) were recruited using non-probability purposive sampling. FT was assessed using the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST), while HRQOL was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) evaluated psychological distress.
resultsIndependent t-tests showed significant differences between patients with and without health card coverage: FT significantly decrease from 7.21 to 13.24, HRQOL improve from 28.60 to 47.56, and psychological distress declined, all p < 0.001. FT correlated positively with HRQOL (r = 0.814) and negatively with depression (r = -0.222), anxiety (r = -0.475), and stress (r = -0.675), indicating strong links between financial relief and well-being (p < 0.001). MANOVA results indicated that health cards had a strong multivariate effect across all outcomes (Wilks' Lambda = 0.060, F(5,666) = 2071.97, p < 0.001, η
conclusionHealth cards play a crucial role in reducing FT while improving HRQOL and psychological well-being among cancer patients in Pakistan. The findings underscore the need to expand health coverage to ensure financial protection and enhance successful treatment outcomes for vulnerable populations.
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