Satisfaction With Care Among Cancer Survivors With Medicare Coverage: Are There Rural Versus Urban Inequities?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Rural Health
• Cancer Survivorship

Background:

• Rural cancer survivors often encounter significant barriers to accessing timely and comprehensive healthcare.
• These barriers may contribute to diminished patient satisfaction with healthcare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate disparities in healthcare satisfaction between rural and urban cancer survivors enrolled in Medicare.
• To identify specific areas of healthcare delivery where rural survivors experience lower satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data.
• Rao-Scott chi-square and logistic regression analyses to compare rural vs. urban satisfaction across nine healthcare dimensions.
• Adjustments made for demographic, socioeconomic, and insurance-related factors.

Main Results:

• Rural cancer survivors reported lower satisfaction with the convenience of accessing health professionals and receiving all necessary care at a single location.
• These significant rural-urban differences in satisfaction remained consistent after statistical adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers in rural settings should explore strategies to improve service accessibility and integration for cancer survivors.
• Implementing coordinated care models and leveraging telehealth services may address unique rural survivor needs and enhance satisfaction.