Relationship Between Radiation Oncology Department National Institutes of Health Funding and Institutional Community Inclusion/Investment

Abstract

PURPOSE Disparities in health care access and funding allocation persist among racial minorities and low-income populations. Radiation oncology departments play a crucial role in cancer treatment, yet the extent to which these departments serve historically underrepresented communities following receipt of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding remains unclear. METHODS Radiation oncology departments awarded NIH funding from 2019 to 2021 were studied using the 2023 Lown Institute Hospital Index rankings for community benefit and inclusivity to assess the relationship between measures of community benefit and inclusivity and NIH radiation oncology department research funding. RESULTS Twenty-two radiation oncology departments were analyzed in this study. A significant positive correlation was identified between the NIH research funding these departments received and their institutional rankings for overall community benefit (tau = 0.38; P < .034). Additionally, there was 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. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate a significantly positive correlation between NIH funding received by radiation oncology departments and overall community benefit (measured by spending on financial assistance, community investment, and Medicaid). This suggests that departments receiving NIH funding may be incentivized to allocate resources toward initiatives aimed at improving community health outcomes extending beyond direct patient care.