Capturing the financial hardship of cancer in military adolescent and young adult patients: A conceptual framework

Objective Examine whether an existing conceptual framework for understanding financial hardship following a cancer diagnosis captures experiences among military adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients. Methodological approach Investigators conducted focus groups and key informant interviews (n = 24) with active-duty military AYA cancer patients, their spouses, cancer care providers, and commanders at a military medical center and military post. Findings Content analysis and thematic abstraction revealed that military AYA cancer patients' experiences of financial hardship occur within material, psychosocial, and behavioral domains that are situated within the contextual influences of AYA development and military culture. Subsequently, investigators constructed an expanded conceptual framework for understanding the financial hardship of cancer to capture these contexts. Conclusion Differentiating experiences of financial hardship into material, psychosocial, and behavioral domains situated within life course development and occupational culture contexts, may inform development of interventions with aspects of financial hardship most impacted by cancer care.