Geographical access to radiation therapy in North Queensland: a retrospective analysis of patient travel to radiation therapy before and after the opening of an additional radiotherapy facility
Sharma, D.K., Vangaveti, V.N., and Larkins, S. (2016) Geographical access to radiation therapy in North Queensland: a retrospective analysis of patient travel to radiation therapy before and after the opening of an additional radiotherapy facility. Rural and Remote Health, 16. 3640. pp. 1-10.
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Abstract
Introduction: Access to radiation therapy (RT) underlies optimal care for prostate and breast cancer patients. This study investigates the impact of opening a new RT clinic on distance and road travel time to RT, and overall utilisation for prostate and breast cancer patients over a 3-year period in North Queensland (NQ), Australia.
Methods: The study used retrospective audit of two radiotherapy databases and a geographic information system to illustrate patient origins and distance to the RT clinic used over 3 years. Prostate and female breast cancer patients were selected from the radiation oncology databases of The Townsville Hospital (TTH) and Radiation Oncology Queensland (ROQ) Cairns between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2013. Distance from a patient's home origin to the RT facility was mapped using a geographic information system (ArcGIS software), and travel time (minutes) and road distance (km) determined by Google Maps road directions.
Results: Overall number of prostate and breast cancer patients treated by RT in Cairns and Townsville clinics increased by 16% in 2011–2012 and by 29% in 2012–2013 from year 1 values. In 2010, 44% of the patients travelled 200–400 km to RT, which reduced to 21% in 2013. By 2013, with a second treatment facility, more than 70% of patients lived within 200 km of an RT facility (p<0.0001). Total median road travel time reduced annually from 201 minutes in 2010–2011 to 66 minutes in 2011–2012 and 56 minutes in 2012–2013 (p<0.0001), corresponding to a decrease in the median distance travelled to an RT facility.
Conclusions: An additional RT facility in NQ has led to an increase in patients treated with RT for prostate and breast cancer and, on average, less travel distance and time to treatment, suggesting improvement in access to RT in NQ.
| Item ID: | 43422 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1445-6354 |
| Keywords: | access, Australia, barrier, distance, geography, radiation therapy, radiotherapy. |
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| Additional Information: | Open access statement: This is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Site users are permitted to download and print articles for personal use only. Further reproduction and/or distribution is not permitted, except for brief excerpts or quotations intended for inclusion in some other, original work. In this case, proper attribution must be made to the author/copyright holder, and the place of publication must be acknowledged. © James Cook University 2016 |
| Funders: | James Cook University (JCU) |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Jul 2016 05:00 |
| FoR Codes: | 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420321 Rural and remote health services @ 100% |
| SEO Codes: | 92 HEALTH > 9205 Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health) > 920506 Rural Health @ 100% |
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