Rideshare services for transportation assistance in gynecologic oncology: a quality improvement study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Transportation Equity

Background:

• Transportation barriers are a significant obstacle to timely cancer care.
• Addressing these barriers is crucial for improving patient outcomes and ensuring equitable treatment access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utilization and impact of a novel, donor-funded transportation pilot intervention for patients undergoing gynecologic cancer treatment.
• To assess the feasibility and characteristics of patients benefiting from rideshare services.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a HIPAA-compliant rideshare service for patients with transportation barriers at 5 University of Pennsylvania practices.
• Screened patients for barriers at initial visits and ongoing care, offering rideshare for distances up to 25 miles.
• Collected descriptive data on ride completion, patient demographics, travel distance, and associated costs.

Main Results:

• In a 15-month period, 48 patients (1%) utilized the rideshare service out of 4,376 patients screened.
• Patients using the service were more likely to be older, non-white, have Medicare/Medicaid, and higher ECOG scores.
• The rideshare service reduced mean commute times by 19.5 minutes compared to public transport, at an average one-way cost of $25.75.

Conclusions:

• The rideshare intervention successfully reached a socially vulnerable patient population, potentially enhancing equitable access to gynecologic oncology care.
• The program demonstrated reduced travel times, highlighting the role of transportation assistance in cancer care delivery.
• Further investigation into clinical outcomes is necessary to fully understand the benefits of transportation support on equitable cancer care.