A hybrid technology-enabled financial navigation model to combat financial toxicity in cancer care

Financial toxicity is increasingly recognized as a critical barrier to high-quality cancer care, treatment adherence, and positive survivorship outcomes. Despite the availability of financial and social support resources, patients often face challenges in accessing and navigating them effectively. To address this gap, the University of Kansas Cancer Center developed the Oncology Navigation Empowerment for Treatment (ONCO-NET) platform—an innovative hybrid intervention that integrates an AI-driven resource-matching system with human-centered financial navigation support. Through a structured intake process that includes demographic information, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (FACIT-COST), and social determinants of health data, ONCO-NET identifies and prioritizes the most relevant local resources for each patient. The platform provides real-time, personalized recommendations while offering access to trained financial navigators for additional support. By combining digital technology with human expertise, ONCO-NET enhances accessibility, scalability, and equity in financial navigation. This approach has the potential to improve treatment adherence, reduce disparities, and serve as a scalable model for addressing financial burdens in cancer care and other chronic disease contexts.