Pam Baker DeGuzman1,2, Veronica Bernacchi3, C Allen Cupp4, Brian Dunn4, B J Ferrebee Ghamandi5, Ivora D Hinton3, Mark J Jameson4,5, Debra Lynn Lewandowski4, Christi Sheffield4. 1. University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, USA. deguzman@virginia.edu. 2. University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA, USA. deguzman@virginia.edu. 3. University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA, USA. 4. University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA, USA. 5. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Rural cancer survivors have worse quality of life than their urban counterparts. Telemedicine is a potential solution to connecting rural residents with specialized cancer providers during the survivorship period, but limitations in broadband may stifle the impact. Using data from a feasibility study evaluating a telemedicine intervention aimed at connecting rural Virginia cancer survivors with their care team located at a cancer center associated with an academic medical center, we sought to evaluate the ability of rural survivors to access the intervention and suggest strategies for improving access to rural cancer survivorship care. METHODS: We used a descriptive design with geospatial and quantitative methods to understand broadband access, driving time to a satellite telemedicine site, and ability to utilize a borrowed cellular-enabled tablet to participate in the intervention for cancer survivors living in Central Virginia. RESULTS: Our study participants resided in census tracts where an average of 58% of households have adequate broadband access necessary to support a telemedicine videoconferencing intervention. Average driving time to the nearest telemedicine site was 29.6 min. Those who utilized the borrowed tablet experienced considerable difficulty with utilizing the technology. CONCLUSIONS: Rural cancer populations do not have equal access to a cancer survivorship telemedicine intervention. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Telemedicine interventions aimed at connecting cancer survivors with their academic medical center-based cancer providers may be ineffective if survivors do not have access to either fixed broadband or a satellite clinic. Future research needs to evaluate other sites from which rural survivors can connect, such as rural public libraries.
PURPOSE: Rural cancer survivors have worse quality of life than their urban counterparts. Telemedicine is a potential solution to connecting rural residents with specialized cancer providers during the survivorship period, but limitations in broadband may stifle the impact. Using data from a feasibility study evaluating a telemedicine intervention aimed at connecting rural Virginia cancer survivors with their care team located at a cancer center associated with an academic medical center, we sought to evaluate the ability of rural survivors to access the intervention and suggest strategies for improving access to rural cancer survivorship care. METHODS: We used a descriptive design with geospatial and quantitative methods to understand broadband access, driving time to a satellite telemedicine site, and ability to utilize a borrowed cellular-enabled tablet to participate in the intervention for cancer survivors living in Central Virginia. RESULTS: Our study participants resided in census tracts where an average of 58% of households have adequate broadband access necessary to support a telemedicine videoconferencing intervention. Average driving time to the nearest telemedicine site was 29.6 min. Those who utilized the borrowed tablet experienced considerable difficulty with utilizing the technology. CONCLUSIONS: Rural cancer populations do not have equal access to a cancer survivorship telemedicine intervention. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Telemedicine interventions aimed at connecting cancer survivors with their academic medical center-based cancer providers may be ineffective if survivors do not have access to either fixed broadband or a satellite clinic. Future research needs to evaluate other sites from which rural survivors can connect, such as rural public libraries.
Entities:
Keywords:
Access to care; Broadband access; Cancer survivorship; Rural populations; Telemedicine
Authors: Marquita W Lewis-Thames; Marvin E Langston; Saira Khan; Yunan Han; Lindsay Fuzzell; Shuai Xu; Justin Xavier Moore Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2022-05-02
Authors: Pam Baker DeGuzman; David L Vogel; Bethany Horton; Veronica Bernacchi; C Allen Cupp; B J Ferrebee Ghamandi; Ivora D Hinton; Christi Sheffield; Mark J Jameson Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2021-05-13 Impact factor: 4.062
Authors: Kea Turner; Margarita Bobonis Babilonia; Cristina Naso; Oliver Nguyen; Brian D Gonzalez; Laura B Oswald; Edmondo Robinson; Jennifer Elston Lafata; Robert J Ferguson; Amir Alishahi Tabriz; Krupal B Patel; Julie Hallanger-Johnson; Nasrin Aldawoodi; Young-Rock Hong; Heather S L Jim; Philippe E Spiess Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2022-01-19 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Nienke Zomerdijk; Michelle Jongenelis; Eva Yuen; Jane Turner; Kathryn Huntley; Andrew Smith; Megan McIntosh; Camille E Short Journal: Psychooncology Date: 2021-09-09 Impact factor: 3.955