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Accessibility as a major determinant of radiotherapy underutilization: a population based study
Eva Pagano1, Daniela Di Cuonzo, Cristina Bona
1Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Ospedale S. Giovanni Battista, CPO-Piemonte, University of Turin, Italy. evapagano@yahoo.com
Health Policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|June 20, 2006
Summary
Radiotherapy utilization varies significantly across northwestern Italy, with distance to services impacting access, especially for older patients. This highlights inequities in healthcare accessibility due to uneven resource distribution.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Radiotherapy (RT) is a critical cancer treatment modality.
- Understanding RT resource distribution and utilization is essential for equitable healthcare access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess geographical variations in radiotherapy utilization rates within a northwestern Italian Region.
- To investigate the impact of radiotherapy infrastructure supply on patient accessibility.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of standardized radiotherapy utilization rates derived from administrative records.
- Data examined at both Regional and Local Health Unit (LHU) levels.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in RT utilization rates were observed among LHUs, ranging from 1.8 to over 3 per 1000 inhabitants.
- Patients residing in areas without RT services had a lower probability of accessing treatment (SRR, 0.82).
- Utilization rates decreased with increasing distance to the nearest RT service, with a more pronounced effect on patients aged 70 and older.
Conclusions:
- Wide geographic disparities in RT utilization suggest inequities in service access.
- Increasing distance to RT services acts as a significant barrier, particularly for elderly patients.
- The uneven distribution of RT services across the region is a key factor contributing to utilization rate differences.