Healthcare ratings among older cancer survivors.

Authors

null

Michael T. Halpern

University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ

Michael T. Halpern , Matthew Urato , Erin E. Kent

Organizations

University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD

Research Funding

NIH

Background: Cancer survivors may experience unique challenges in receiving needed healthcare services. However, there is little information on individual-level factors influencing the experience of healthcare services among survivors. Methods: This study used healthcare ratings provided by cancer survivors in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Medicare Survey linked to data from NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (SEER-CAHPS). CAHPS data on self-reported general and mental health status and five composite measures of experience with healthcare (customer service, doctor communications, getting care quickly, getting needed care, and getting prescription drugs) were linked to patient sociodemographic and cancer characteristics from SEER. Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer in SEER regions from 1997-2011 who participated in the CAHPS Medicare Survey at least one year after cancer diagnosis were included. The study included only individuals alive at least one year following CAHPS survey completion, at least age 66, and diagnosed with non-metastatic breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer. Results: Among 23,969 cancer survivors with linked SEER-CAHPS data, higher self-rated general health was associated with higher ratings of care for all survivors except those diagnosed with lung cancer, while higher mental health predicted higher ratings among lung and prostate cancer survivors. Asian survivors generally provided lower ratings than did non-Hispanic White survivors. Among breast and prostate cancer survivors, fee-for-services Medicare (vs. Medicare advantage) was associated with lower customer service ratings but higher ratings for getting prescription drugs. Conclusions: Higher self-reported health status was frequently associated with improved experiences of care, but associations between other factors and healthcare rating varied. Interventions to improve general and mental health status of cancer survivors, such as increased access to palliative care services, may also improve their experience of care; however, efforts to enhance care for survivors need to be tailored to individual survivors’ characteristics.

Disclaimer

This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org

Abstract Details

Meeting

2016 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Patient and Survivor Care

Track

Patient and Survivor Care

Sub Track

Survivorship

Citation

J Clin Oncol 34, 2016 (suppl; abstr 10094)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2016.34.15_suppl.10094

Abstract #

10094

Poster Bd #

82

Abstract Disclosures

Similar Abstracts

Abstract

2022 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Racial/ethnic disparities in patient care experiences among prostate cancer survivors: A SEER-CAHPS study.

First Author: Ambrish Pandit

First Author: Sarah A Birken

Abstract

2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

The role of primary care in opioid prescribing for head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors.

First Author: Talya Salz