Welcome to the Inaugural Patient Support Services Guide

Oncology Guide to Patient Support Services

The world for oncology patients and those who care for them is changing rapidly. Research and technology are offering an increasing potential to identify and treat cancer, bringing the promise and hope that this devastating disease can be reduced to a manageable chronic condition. New treatments, clinical trials, and dedicated care management teams are more accessible to a cancer patient. Resources and support have proliferated.

At the same time, however, patient financial stability and access to these advances in cancer treatment have been challenged. Insurance program changes, narrowing care and benefit structures, increasing financial obligations, and the impact of a cancer diagnosis on a patient’s personal financial situation have put many patients at risk of not being able to receive or complete the care or treatment indicated for their disease. Those who care for patients, including private practices, hospital-based cancer centers, and even specialty pharmacy entities, have increased staff and facility resources to help patients navigate through the challenges and barriers that may arise before their treatment can proceed. The additional stress on patients as they work through both the cancer itself and the process of obtaining cancer treatment can be detrimental to their care and recovery.

Many resources have been created to help patients deal with these challenges. Some of these resources may be well known even to those in the general public not dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Others can be found by searching the Internet or visiting a local library. Practices and pharmacies have multiple files on different resources, which may be cataloged by disease or individual cancer treatment. But it takes time and effort to sift through all those different sources, at a time when rapid access to assistance may be essential.

This publication is intended for the use of practice managers; nurse and patient navigators; financial advocates, nurses, and physicians, and their staffs; cancer centers; and even the many patient assistance entities who work with those dealing with a cancer diagnosis. It will provide easy access to many of the resources now available.

In this guide, you will find information on tools to help you connect patients with the support services available to them, whether offered through pharmaceutical companies, government organizations, nonprofit foundations, or somewhere in be­­tween. You will find information on eligibility and enrollment in myriad financial or treatment assistance programs. No patient facing cancer should miss any available opportunity for assistance or support, and we hope that this will speed the review process.

Oncology care teams should also find this guide to be a useful compilation of financial support programs as well as access to information on the growing disease support community. This will be a useful addition to the cancer center’s library, as well as that of clinical and business offices. It is intended to be an annual guide; please share with us your suggestions and feedback to incorporate in future installments.

The cancer community is united in battling this insidious disease, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to offer a bridge between those who need support and assistance and those who have invested in building the resources and programs to bring a wide variety of help to those dealing with cancer. We hope you enjoy reading it, and that it serves as a resource for you and the patients you serve.

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