Cancer Care in India: Accessibility, Affordability, Innovation

Study Title: Accessibility, Affordability, Innovation.

Short Title: CCI Study

Background:

India has over one million new cancer patients every year. Facing a crisis that is rapidly emerging, experts have sounded a national alarm arguing that cancer has become one of the country’s greatest public health challenges. The CCI study will explore India’s cancer scenario. Recent Research suggests that the abundance of patients and the scarcity of resources have resulted in an unprecedented movement of people. Faced with a diagnosis of disease, people travel enormous distances across the country to access medical care and this movement has intensified the burden on hospitals in metropolitan regions.

Aims:

The project has two main Research aims:

1. To conduct an empirical study to evaluate availability of cancer care, affordability and access to cancer care in India.

2. To take the first steps and generate robust empirical evidence for a better understanding of cancer and cancer care in India from the perspective of patients and family members and policy makers.

Sample Size:

600 patients and their relatives will be recruited from the 2 Indian sites.

Study Design:

Observational Study-questionnaire based survey.

Study Methodology:

The proposed study is a Pilot study will focus on Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and Tata Medical Center in Kolkata. The Co-Principal Investigators will work with Research Assistants and interview patients and family members based on questionnaire, which will be conducted after written Informed Consent is obtained. For this pilot study, participants able to understand either of these languages will be approached- English, Hindi, Marathi or Bengali. The study duration would be 8 months.

In the interviews, the Research Assistants will ask non-intrusive, open-ended questions and would not interrupt the narratives provided by the participants. This will give participants as much control as possible over what they want to talk about and when to shift the topic of conversation. All interviews will be tape-recorded and translated.

The Co-Principal Investigator or the Research Assistants will explain to participants that they are free to not answer any questions that are upsetting to them or make them uncomfortable, and that they can choose to terminate the interview at any time without giving a reason.

Data will be collected regarding the following: (a) Socio-demographic data (b) Qualitative data about patient mobility, accessibility and affordability

Statistical Analysis:

Data will be processed using the principles of grounded theory. When reviewing the data, repeated ideas, concepts, metaphors or elements become apparent, and are tagged with codes, which will be extracted from the data.

Sharing of Results:

At the end of the Research project, the PIs will make a presentation at TMH presenting preliminary results from the Research, so that individuals and the institution might benefit from the study.