Financial Toxicity Experiences of Patients With Cancer in Indonesia

Objectives: Financial toxicity (FT) is an important adverse effect of cancer. Recent systematic reviews have shown that FT may lead to treatment nonadherence and impaired health-related quality of life, both of which may adversely influence the survival rates of patients. However, less is known about how patients endure FT, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to explore how patients with cancer experience and cope with FT in Indonesia. Methods: Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the experiences of Indonesian patients with cancer. Qualitative data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. We purposefully recruited 8 patients undergoing active treatment (aged 27-69 years) who had been diagnosed of cancer over 5 years before and possessed health insurance at the time of diagnosis. Results: We identified 2 main themes: (1) the experienced financial burden, with subthemes underinsurance, out-of-pocket nonhealthcare cancer-related costs, and negative income effect from employment disruption, and (2) the financial coping strategies, with subthemes reallocating household budget, seeking family support, rationalizing treatment decisions, and topping up insurance for family members. Conclusions: This is the first interpretive phenomenological study on FT in the literature and the first qualitative FT study in Indonesia. Our findings provide insight into the occurrence of FT and coping strategies used by Indonesian patients with cancer. The subjective experiences of patients may be considered to further improve oncology care, support the need for measurement of FT, and provide mitigation programs for patients

Experimental investigation on the yield of solar still using manganese oxide nanoparticles coated absorber

Present research expresses an experimental investigation on nanoparticle use to enhance Solar still (SS) yield. Manganese Oxide (MNO2) is selected as a nanoparticle material and used in SS. The nanomaterial is added with the black chrome paint of the SS walls to increase the yield. The weight concentrations (WC) of MNO2 have been used from 20% to 50 to see its effect on SS yield. It has been observed that the heat transfer and water temperature enhanced by the use of the MNO2 nanoparticle with black chrome paint. The use of the MNO2 nanoparticle has improved the yield of the SS. It has also observed that the yield of SS enhanced by 19.5% compared with alone SS by use of WC of 20-50%. The SS with MNO2nanoparticle's payback time is 82 days at 20% WC than the alone SS of 98 days.This work was carried by the NPRP grant # NPRP11S-1221-170116 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation ). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Scopu