Closing the Breast Cancer Loop: Barriers and Perceptions of Breast Reconstruction among Rural Women

Despite policies such as the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) and Breast Cancer Patient Education Act, rates for breast reconstruction vary and are especially low for some subpopulations of patients, especially rural women. In order to better understand patient perceptions, qualitative analysis using focus groups is an underutilized tool for obtaining patient perspectives regarding health-related issues and access to care. Our aim was to better understand patient perceptions using qualitative analysis.

Three focus groups were held in rural counties within West Virginia in order to better understand patient perceptions, knowledge, and beliefs regarding breast health, breast cancer, access to breast reconstruction, and how to disseminate and educate this patient population regarding their right to accessing breast reconstruction.

Major themes analyses revealed perceived barriers to care related to lacking care coordination, lack of insurance coverage and other resources, as well as issues related to transportation. Participants consistently discussed avoiding breast screening care due fear and denial in addition to pain. Few patients were aware of their right to accessing breast reconstruction per the WHCRA, and many were concerned about follow-up burden, complications, and general fear related to breast reconstruction. Themes related to dissemination of information to promote the option of breast reconstruction included social media, patient counseling by their referring physician, and other means of intervention in clinics and other points in the care coordination chain.

Rural women have important, unique viewpoints regarding access to and perceived barriers from obtaining breast reconstruction. Plastic surgeons must work diligently to educate, disseminate, and improve care coordination among this population in order to improve access to breast reconstruction among rural breast cancer patients.