Evaluating the role of financial navigation in alleviating financial distress among young adults with a history of blood cancer: A hybrid type 2 randomized effectiveness-implementation design.

BACKGROUND

Young adulthood (YA) is a complex phase of life, marked by key developmental goals, including educational and vocational attainment, housing independence, maintenance of social relationships, and financial stability. A cancer diagnosis during, or prior to, this phase of life can compromise the achievement of these milestones. Studies of adults with cancer have demonstrated that >70% report experiencing financial side-effects, which are associated with increased mortality, diminished health-related quality of life, and forgone medical care. The goal of this project is to evaluate financial distress of YA-aged survivors of blood cancers, and the impact of financial navigation on alleviating this distress.

METHODS

This three-arm, multi-site, hybrid type 2 randomized effectiveness-implementation design (EID) study will be conducted through remote consent, remote data capture and telephone-based/virtual financial navigation. Participants will be aged 18-39, and more than three years from their blood cancer diagnosis. In this six-month intervention, the study will compare the primary outcome of financial distress in three arms: (1) usual care (2) participant-initiated, ad hoc navigation, and (3) study-directed proactive navigation. The study will be evaluated via the five-component Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) outcome strategy with a mixed-methods approach through quantitative assessment of participant-reported financial distress using the Personal Financial Wellness Scale™, as the primary outcome measure, and qualitative assessment through interviews.

CONCLUSION

The study will address many unanswered questions regarding financial navigation within the YA survivor population and will inform the most successful strategies to mitigate financial distress in this vulnerable population.