An observational study of socioeconomic status and demographic profile of advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care in tertiary care institution of Bihar, India

Introduction: Access to high-quality healthcare without financial constraints is necessary for inclusive universal health coverage. Low socioeconomic status (SES) individuals have less access to palliative care services. The study was conducted to evaluate the demographics and socioeconomic status of palliative care patients with advanced cancer.<br /> Patients and methods: The prospective observational study included 118 patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment. Their clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic data were collected in predesigned social assessment sheets and medical records. The socioeconomic status was evaluated using the modified Kuppuswamy scale. Descriptive statistics were performed. Student's t-test and Chi-square tests were performed to compare continuous and categorical variables respectively.<br /> Results: Out of the total 118 patients, 71 (60.2%) were females and 47 (39.8%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 49.9 +/- 13.9 years. Out of the total study participants, 54 (45.8%) were illiterate. Most of the participants had social insecurities like financial insecurity (n = 50, 42.4%), followed by insecurities regarding the future of the family members (n = 37, 31.4%). The frequency of lung cancer (n = = 30, 25.4%) was the highest among the participants, followed by breast (n = 20, 17%) and gall bladder cancer (n = 15, 12.7%). The mean family income of the patients was Indian Rupees (INR) 10,847.50 +/- +/- 8,026.30 ($130.61 +/- 96.64). Most of the participants (38, 32.2%) belonged to lower middle SES. Type of cancer, social insecurities, and type of caregiver were significantly associated with gender (p < 0.05).<br /> Conclusions: The majority of patients and their families were financially limited, and a significant portion of patients expressed financial insecurities and social stress about the future of their families. Gender was significantly associated with a type of cancer, social insecurities, and type of caregiver.