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Bending the Cost Curve in Childhood Cancer
Heidi Russell1, M Brooke Bernhardt2
1Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, 6701 Fannin St, Suite 1580.00, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. hvrussel@txch.org.
Insights
Reducing childhood cancer care costs is crucial for healthcare spending. This review identifies cost drivers and strategies to decrease financial burdens for pediatric cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Health Economics
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Childhood cancer care incurs significantly higher healthcare costs compared to other pediatric conditions.
- Targeting high-cost areas within pediatric cancer care can yield substantial savings in overall healthcare expenditure.
- Understanding cost drivers is essential for developing effective cost-containment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the financial cost drivers associated with childhood cancer.
- To identify potential strategies and directions for curbing or reducing the economic burden of pediatric cancer care.
- To inform policy and practice regarding cost-value considerations in pediatric oncology.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on healthcare costs in pediatric oncology.
- Analysis of trends in pharmaceutical expenses and administrative costs.
- Examination of the impact of surveillance study utilization on overall costs.
- Synthesis of information on cost and value in the delivery of care and research.
Main Results:
- Pharmaceutical costs represent a significant trend impacting overall expenses.
- Administration costs contribute demonstrably to the financial burden of childhood cancer care.
- Overuse of surveillance studies is identified as a factor escalating healthcare spending.
- The spectrum of care, from diagnosis to survivorship, incurs costs.
Conclusions:
- Awareness of both cost and value (outcomes per unit cost) is vital for managing pediatric cancer expenditures.
- Implementing cost-reduction strategies requires methodological advancements, strategic prioritization, and ethical considerations.
- A balanced approach integrating cost-effectiveness into care delivery and research is necessary to manage healthcare spending effectively.
Abstract:
Healthcare for children with cancer costs significantly more than other children. Cost reduction efforts aimed toward relatively small populations of patients that use a disproportionate amount of care, like childhood cancer, could have a dramatic impact on healthcare spending. The aims of this review are to provide stakeholders with an overview of the drivers of financial costs of childhood cancer and to identify possible directions to curb or decrease these costs. Costs are incurred throughout the spectrum of care. Recent trends in pharmaceutical costs, evidence identifying the contribution of administration costs, and overuse of surveillance studies are described. Awareness of cost and value, i.e., the outcome achieved per dollar or burden spent, in delivery of care and research is necessary to bend the cost curve. Incorporation of these dimensions of care requires methodology development, prioritization, and ethical balance.
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