2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.17B.05 Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Financial Toxicity and Outcomes in Lung Cancer

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The study EP.17B.05 explores the impact of race and ethnicity on the financial toxicity and outcomes for lung cancer patients in the United States. Conducted by examining 128,624 lung cancer-related hospitalizations from 2016 to 2021, the research utilized the National Inpatient Sample dataset to analyze costs, mortality rates, lengths of stay, and post-discharge dispositions.<br /><br />Key findings indicate significant racial disparities in hospitalization costs and outcomes. Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients had the least total hospitalization costs ($20,035) compared to Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients ($24,892) and Hispanic patients ($22,231). Length of stay was also longer for NHB (6.9 days) and Hispanics (6.5 days) compared to NHW (5.9 days), contributing to increased costs. Disparities in mortality were evident, with NHB patients having the highest rates (7.7%), followed by Hispanics (7.6%) and NHW (6.9%).<br /><br />Additional disparities were found in Medicare access, with higher utilization rates among NHW (66.2%) compared to NHB (57.5%) and Hispanics (56.0%). Post-hospitalization dispositions showed that NHB patients more frequently went to short or long-term care facilities (50.2%) compared to NHW (47.9%) and Hispanics (45.8%).<br /><br />These disparities highlight potential financial toxicity affecting minority populations, indicating systemic issues in healthcare access and delivery. The study calls for further investigation to understand the factors contributing to these inequities and to optimize cancer management, thereby reducing financial burdens and promoting equitable healthcare access. Addressing these disparities is essential for systemic change and ensuring equality in treatment outcomes for all racial and ethnic groups.<br /><br />The research underscores the need for targeted interventions and policies to alleviate financial toxicity and improve clinical outcomes for minority patients with lung cancer, advancing towards a more equitable health system.

Asset Subtitle

Atulya Khosla

Meta Tag

Speaker Atulya Khosla

Topic Global Health, Health Services, and Health Economics

Keywords

lung cancer

racial disparities

financial toxicity

hospitalization costs

mortality rates

Medicare access

healthcare inequities

minority populations

systemic change

equitable healthcare