Analysis of travel burden and travel support among patients treated at a comprehensive cancer center in the Southeastern United States.

Autor: Bai J; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA. jinbing.bai@emory.edu.; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. jinbing.bai@emory.edu., Barandouzi ZA; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA., Yeager KA; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA., Graetz I; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA., Gong C; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA., Norman M; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA., Hankins J; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA., Paul S; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA., Torres MA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA., Bruner DW; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.; Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer [Support Care Cancer] 2024 Jun 22; Vol. 32 (7), pp. 451. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 22.
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08656-3
Abstrakt: Introduction: Travel burden leads to worse cancer outcomes. Understanding travel burden and the level and types of travel support provided at large cancer centers is critical for developing systematic programs to alleviate travel burden. This study analyzed patients who received travel assistance, including their travel burden, types and amount of travel support received, and factors that influenced these outcomes.
Methods: We analyzed 1063 patients who received travel support from 1/1/2021 to 5/1/2023 at Winship Cancer Institute, in which ~18,000 patients received cancer care annually. Travel burden was measured using distance and time to Winship sites from patients' residential address. Travel support was evaluated using the monetary value of total travel support and type of support received. Patients' sociodemographic and clinical factors were extracted from electronic medical records. Area-level socioeconomic disadvantage was coded by the Area Deprivation Index using patient ZIP codes.
Results: On average, patients traveled 57.2 miles and 67.3 min for care and received $74.1 in total for travel support. Most patients (88.3%) received travel-related funds (e.g., gas cards), 5% received direct rides (e.g., Uber), 3.8% received vouchers for taxi or public transportation, and 3% received combined travel support. Male and White had longer travel distance and higher travel time than female and other races, respectively. Patients residing in more disadvantaged neighborhoods had an increased travel distance and travel time. Other races and Hispanics received more travel support ($) than Black and White patients or non-Hispanics. Patients with higher travel distance and travel time were more like to receive travel-related financial support.
Conclusion: Among patients who received travel support, those from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods had greater travel burden. Patients with greater travel burden were more likely to receive travel funds versus other types of support. Further understanding of the impact of travel burden and travel support on cancer outcomes is needed.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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