Patient Navigation Preferences for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Services by Distance to Treatment Location

Abstract

Purpose: To describe how distance to treatment location influences patient navigation preferences for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and survivors. Methods: This study is part of a statewide needs assessment to inform the development of an AYA cancer patient and survivor navigation program. Participants were recruited from outpatient oncology clinics in Utah. Eligible participants had been diagnosed with cancer between ages 15-39 and had completed at least 1 month of treatment. Participants completed a semi-structured interview on preferences for patient navigation. Summary statistics of demographic and cancer characteristics were generated. Thematic content analysis was used to describe navigation preferences among participants classified as distance (q20 miles) and local (<20 miles), to explain differences in their needs based on distance from their treatment center. Results: The top three patient navigation needs were general information, financial, and emotional support. More local patients were interested in patient navigation services (95.2%) compared to distance participants (77.8%). Fewer local (38.1%) than distance participants (61.1%) reported challenges getting to appointments, and distance patients needed specific financial support to support their travel (e.g., fuel, lodging). Both local and distance patients desired to connect with a navigator in person before using another form of communication and wanted to connect with a patient navigator at the time of initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Distance from treatment center is an important patient navigation consideration for AYA cancer patients and survivors. After initially connecting with AYAs in person, patient navigators can provide resources remotely to help reduce travel burden.

Challenges Associated With Living Remotely From a Pediatric Cancer Center: A Qualitative Study

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Factors Associated with Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Cancer Survivors in Nova Scotia, Canada

“…That those same individuals had a higher degree of needs met may indicate they had a greater number of initial needs and therefore a higher number of potential needs to meet, with PNs able to address those needs. A recent study supported the use of a PN to help with needs related to general information, finances, psychosocial support and advocated for its use to provide resources remotely to reduce travel burden for non-local/distance survivors [ 30 ]. The physician in charge of follow-up care is a topic of interest in recent literature [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Demand for weekend outpatient chemotherapy among patients with cancer in Japan

“…Although adolescents and young adults comprise a small percentage of patients with cancer, their medical needs are often unmet [ 15 , 18 ] and specific types of support may be required [ 18 , 19 ]. For example, adolescent and young adult patients may require greater effort to visit the farther and more specialized hospital [ 20 , 21 ]. Younger patients have a larger social role and are thus likely to view outpatient hospital visits as burdensome, which would explain their interest in a weekend chemotherapy option.…”

“…Several reports in other countries found that the effort needed to visit the hospital, such as the distance that had to be traveled, affected the prognosis. In Japan, the burden of visiting the hospital may be less than in other countries because of free access to the hospital and the relative ease of travel to local hospitals [ 21 , 30 ].…”