Combining registry, primary, and secondary data sources to identify the impact of cancer on labor market outcomes

Some cancers are rapidly becoming chronic conditions that are more and more often diagnosed in working-age individuals. The authors developed a research agenda to study the labor market outcomes attributable to detection and treatment for cancer, and research design and data collection strategies to improve upon other research on these questions. In this article, they describe their approach to combining secondary data sources, primary data collection, and cancer registry data to evaluate the impact cancer has on labor market outcomes such as employment, hours worked, wages, and health insurance. They then critically assess how well their study design and data collection strategy accomplished its objectives. The intention is to offer guidance on how researchers, who are interested in the economic consequences of cancer, as well as of other chronic conditions, might develop and execute studies that examine labor market outcomes. As more attention is placed on the economic aspects of disease, the methods used to estimate productivity loss and other economic outcomes attributable to these conditions require careful scrutiny so that reliable findings can be used to shape health care decisions and policy.