The Role of Patient Support Services

R. Donald Harvey stresses the importance of patient support services in addressing financial challenges and building support communities for both patients and their families.

Patient support services at our institution are incredibly important. As we look at some of the financial challenges that patients face to getting access to drugs, those support services really can play a huge role in helping patients to get access to drugs through programs that are out there and available, either through the manufacturer, or through other groups like the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, and others.

Those support groups are quite critical. Then in general, support groups of patients with the same disease for patients that are perhaps newly diagnosed, or family members who may be having a tough time as their family member goes through the treatment of cancer.

Those support groups for patients and family members are incredibly important to make sure that everyone's in the best frame of mind, and has the most resources to be able to fight the cancer that we're fighting.