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 examined 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 were:

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.

Publications

• Discussions of Cancer Survivorship Care Needs: Are There Rural Versus Urban Inequities?
  Journal Article
  Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2024
  This study used 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to test for rural versus urban inequities and identify other correlates of discussions about cancer survivorship care with health care professionals.