Sociocultural incentives for cancer care implementation.

The implementation and modification of cancer care systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for the entire population is usually accompanied not only by intensive and rapid changes in the delivery processes and system structure, but also by severe impact on human resources and sociocultural aspects of cancer care delivery. At the same time this is caused by and results in complex changes in clinical routines, in collaborative patterns among healthcare providers, professions and disciplines, as well as in the behavior of healthcare workers, patients or other stakeholders, and in the organization of cancer care [1]. Since allocation of qualitatively and quantitatively sufficient human resources to the entire population is a major challenge for cancer care in LIMCs, understanding of sociocultural incentives and their strategic use becomes of high importance [2]. These sociocultural incentives include various types of driving motivations that are not directly related to remuneration of healthcare service, such as free housing, access to professional education, social perception and appreciation, among others. Their importance is especially true for the care of patients with metastatic disease, given their vulnerability and particular clinical needs. Here we consider the impact of sociocultural incentives in this context.