Rural and Urban Cancer Survivors' Follow-Up Care Experiences

Research center:
Lead researcher:
Contact:
Project funded:
September 2020
Anticipated completion date:
December 2023

After completing treatment, cancer survivors require follow-up services for surveillance of cancer recurrence, detection of new cancers, continued care management, and the monitoring of late or long-term treatment side effects. This project will examine rural vs. urban differences in cancer survivors' follow-up care experiences by conducting analyses of the 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which included a cancer survivors module. Specific aims of this study are:

1. To provide nationally representative estimates and compare/contrast the prevalence of rural and urban cancer survivors' follow-up care experiences.

2. To understand how having a regular PCP is associated with cancer survivors' follow-up care experiences and if this association is stronger among rural compared to urban cancer survivors.

3. To determine if racial/ethnic differences in cancer survivors' follow-up care experiences vary by rural/urban residence.