Aim. To determine cancer patients’ willingness to pay for exercise services and oncology health professionals’ perception of patient willingness to pay for exercise services.
Methods. An online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were administered to: 1) people with any type of cancer within three years of starting treatment; and 2) registered health professional delivering clinical care to people with cancer. Questionnaire assessed likelihood of paying for: 1) a consultation with a cancer-trained exercise physiologist/physiotherapist at a Medicare subsidized cost of ~$30; and 2) regular supervised exercise sessions at a cost of ~$20 per session. Interviews probed factors associated with why patients would/wouldn’t be willing to pay. Data were analysed using standard descriptive statistics and interpretive description qualitative analysis framework.
Results. Patients (n=453 questionnaire, n=30 interview) were 63% female with 66% currently receiving treatment and 25% reported meeting exercise guidelines. Health professionals (n=383 questionnaire, n=31 interview) were 68% nurses with 15±10years oncology experience of whom 87% routinely recommend exercise to 75±28% patients. 94% of people with cancer reported they would be willing to pay for a consultation with a cancer-trained exercise specialist. 40% of oncology health professionals thought the majority of their patients would be moderately-extremely likely to pay for a consultation. 83% of people with cancer would be willing to pay for regular supervised exercise sessions (58% extremely likely, 25% moderately likely). 37% of health professionals thought the majority of patients would be willing to pay for regular supervised exercise sessions (5% extremely likely, 32% moderately likely). Limitations include patient sample with socio-demographic characteristics not representative of all people with cancer.
Conclusions. People with cancer are willing to pay for cancer-specific exercise services. Oncology health professionals underestimate their patients’ willingness to pay. There is an opportunity to better align perceptions of willingness to pay among cancer patients and professionals involved in their care.