Background: In addition to physical, psychological and social effects, economic effects and the associated financial burden of a cancer diagnosis may also gain in importance during prolonged disease progression. Counselling by social services is an important factor in coping with this burden.
Methods: People employed in social work in oncology were invited to participate in a survey. The survey comprises 16 items on the perception of financial burdens, changes in the relevance of the topic, risk factors and current counselling practice.
Results: 81% of the respondents reported that the financial burden arising from a cancer diagnosis is a relevant topic of consultation for at least half of the patients. For 55%, this topic has become more important in recent years, which is due to higher survival rates, an increased number of younger patients, and poorer social security and working conditions.
Discussion and conclusion: Despite comprehensive insurance coverage, the financial burden of cancer patients has also gained in importance in Germany and must be increasingly taken into account in everyday social service counselling. Due to numerous risk factors and complex reasons, further measures are required to enable the early identification of risk constellations and to improve the situation of those affected.
Keywords: Cancer; Financial burden; Finanzielle Belastungen; Krebs; Oncology; Onkologie; Social service counselling; Social services; Sozialdienste; Sozialdienstliche Beratung.
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