Improving Patient Access to Cancer Clinical Trials

DESCRIPTION
Lazarex Cancer Foundation established a pilot financial reimbursement program in 2013 aiming to remove financial barriers to clinical trial participation for patients with cancer. There was a 29% increase in overall participation in cancer care trials, and the participation of members of minority groups in these trials doubled. A large number of initial participants did not ultimately qualify for the trials, however, and among those who did qualify, many did not submit for financial reimbursement. Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) has opted to be one of the launch sites for Lazarex’s continued work and commitment to further understanding the best way to implement this program for optimal benefit, under the program IMproving Patient Access to Cancer Clinical Trials (IMPACT).

The IMPACT study will determine if, compared to historic rates at the ACC, the new financial reimbursement program will increase enrollment and retention in clinical cancer trials as well as the racial and ethnic diversity of adult participants in these trials. Finally, the mixed methods study will explore facilitators and barriers to trial enrollment and to participants submitting for financial reimbursement.

IMPACT
Participants who qualify for this study would be provided with potentially life-saving treatments to which they would not otherwise have access due to financial constraints.  The IMPACT study will also inform opportunities to improve the reimbursement program and benefit future participants. Creating more diverse populations in clinical trials will also increase the generalizability of trial efficiency and results, increasing scientific knowledge while expanding cutting-edge treatments to all patients with cancer.

PEOPLE
Carmen Guerra, MD, MSCE

PARTNERS
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation

FUNDING
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation

MEDIA
How a Philly hospital increased patient diversity in clinical trials, STAT News
Community-Based Engagement Initiative Improves Accrual of Black Participants in Clinical Trials, ASCO Post
Black Patients Needed in Cancer Clinical Trials, Healthline

FOCUS
Health Equity
Payment Models and Affordability