A social ecological study of access to breast cancer survivorship services.

Authors

null

Deborah Lefkowitz

University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA

Organizations

University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA

Research Funding

NIH

Background: Survivorship research has largely focused on the survivorship care plan and the transition back to primary care. Long-term survivor service needs remain understudied, particularly in the fragmented healthcare systems where many Americans receive their care. While numerous services support breast cancer patients through treatment, there is a sharp drop-off once treatment has been completed. This study investigated survivors’ post-treatment service access and use in a geographically dispersed, medically underserved population. Methods: Using a social ecological framework to analyze the interplay of individuals, healthcare facilities, and community resources, this study combined in-depth, semi-structured interviews with survey data from 75 breast cancer survivors across 27 cities in a two-county Affordable Care Act rating area. Interviews focused on challenges of access, available resources, and how resources were used. Surveys recorded service use, referral sources, and unmet needs across 27 services (e.g., psychosocial, financial, lymphedema) and information sources (e.g., online, support group, print materials). Results: Survivors ranged in age from 25 to 87, and 0 years of survivorship (still in active treatment) to 41 years (54% at 5+ years, 27% at 10+ years, and 12% at 20+ years). Access to survivorship services was accomplished in community settings (e.g., breast cancer nonprofits) more often than in medical facilities. In-person support groups were the most widely used resource, even by long-term survivors (over 40% were survivors of 5+ years), and played a key role in providing access to other services and information (e.g., nutrition, yoga). Many survivors addressed the lack of services through resourceful do-it-yourself solutions. Nevertheless unmet needs remained across the service spectrum. Conclusions: Community-based resources were pivotal in enabling access for a dispersed, underserved population and may serve as high-leverage points for interventions in healthcare systems. Research was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award # F31CA192478.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2018 Cancer Survivorship Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session A: Care Coordination, Cost, and Education; Communication and Transitions; Health Promotion

Track

Care Coordination, Cost, and Education,Health Promotion,Communication and Transitions

Sub Track

Issues, Trends, and Statistics in Health Care Access and Survivorship

Citation

J Clin Oncol 36, 2018 (suppl 7S; abstr 31)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2018.36.7_suppl.31

Abstract #

31

Poster Bd #

B14

Abstract Disclosures

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