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The following is a summary of “Relationship Between Radiation Oncology Department National Institutes of Health Funding and Institutional Community Inclusion/Investment,” published in the October 2024 issue of Oncology by Oluwatomiwa et al.
Racial minorities and individuals from low-income backgrounds continue to experience disparities in healthcare access and funding, which affect cancer treatment outcomes.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the relationship between National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and community inclusion in radiation oncology departments.
They studied radiation oncology departments awarded NIH funding (2019 to 2021) using the 2023 Lown Institute Hospital Index rankings for community benefit and inclusivity to assess the relationship between community benefit measures and NIH radiation oncology department research funding.
The results showed 22 radiation oncology departments, a significant positive correlation was identified between the NIH research funding the departments received and the institutional rankings for overall community benefit (tau = 0.38; P<.034). A trend toward significance for the relationship between NIH funding and institutional rankings for community investment spending (tau = 0.497; P<.053). No significant correlation was observed for other variables, including institutional rankings for charity care spending, Medicaid as a portion of patient revenue, or services provided to patients from minoritized groups, low-income backgrounds, or those with lower levels of education.
They concluded that funding from the NIH for radiation oncology departments may drive improvements in community health outcomes that benefit individuals beyond direct patient care.
Source: ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OA-24-00035
