Abstract C043: Exploring underserved cancer survivors' perspectives on survivorship care at community health centers
Authors: Balasubramanian Bijal A. , Museitif Maram , Ma Hilary , Lee Simon , Walton Gretchen H. , Shay Aubree Laura 
Published: September 2024

Background: Community Health Centers (CHCs) serve as critical healthcare centers for vulnerable and underserved populations, including those living with cancer (also referred to as cancer survivors), offering essential services and care to survivors who often face numerous barriers to care. Despite the vital role CHCs play, cancer survivors who rely on these centers frequently encounter unique challenges, including managing chronic conditions, accessing specialized care, and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). Understanding cancer survivors' experiences at CHCs is crucial to enhancing care delivery and improving their overall quality of life. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with adult patients with a history of cancer and other chronic conditions at two Texas-based CHCs. Data analysis employed an adapted version of Crabtree and Miller's immersion and crystallization approach. One researcher and a second coder led the immersion phase, followed by a collaborative crystallization process with a team to identify and refine the emergent themes. Results: Seven female cancer survivors, with a mean age of 70 years and at least two chronic conditions, were interviewed. Three themes emerged: (1) complexity in chronic care management, (2) satisfaction and trust in care, and (3) the role of faith and reminders. In theme 1, cancer survivors discussed their challenges of managing multiple doctor's appointments and the number of medications they need to take while encountering SDOH barriers. Meanwhile, in theme 1, they expressed extreme satisfaction with the care they received at CHC. Finally, in theme 3, spiritual prayers and the use of written reminders helped with coping and managing their medications and multiple doctor’s visits. Additionally, during the interviews, survivors were not prompted by the research team about their past cancer history and did not voluntarily mention it to the interviewer. Conclusion: Cancer survivors’ at CHCs did not perceive the need for well-coordinated survivorship care. This could be due to survivors not being informed about the necessity of survivorship care and having an insufficient understanding of cancer-related risks. The absence of recognition of their cancer history highlights the importance of shared care between primary care clinicians and specialists, as well as the integration of survivorship care in primary care settings to ensure optimal, high-quality care.

Citation Format: Bijal A. Balasubramanian, Maram Museitif, Hilary Ma, Simon Lee, Gretchen H. Walton, Aubree Laura Shay. Exploring underserved cancer survivors' perspectives on survivorship care at community health centers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C043.