Availability of cancer care services and the organization of care delivery at critical access hospitals

INTRODUCTION: Critical access hospitals (CAHs) provide an opportunity to meet the needs of individuals with cancer in rural areas. Two common innovative care delivery methods include the use of traveling oncologists and teleoncology. It is important to understand the availability and organization of cancer care services in CAHs due to the growing population with cancer and expected declines in oncology workforce in rural areas. METHODS: Stratified random sampling was used to generate a sample of 50 CAHs from each of the four U.S. Census Bureau‐designated regions resulting in a total sample of 200 facilities. Analyses were conducted from 135 CAH respondents to understand the availability of cancer care services and organization of cancer care across CAHs. RESULTS: Almost all CAHs (95%) provided at least one cancer screening or diagnostic service. Forty‐six percent of CAHs reported providing at least one component of cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery) at their facility. CAHs that offered cancer treatment reported a wide range of health care staff involvement, including 34% of respondents reporting involvement of a local oncologist, 38% reporting involvement of a visiting oncologist, and 28% reporting involvement of a non‐local oncologist using telemedicine. CONCLUSION: Growing disparities within rural areas emphasize the importance of ensuring access to timely screening and guideline‐recommended treatment for cancer in rural communities. These data demonstrated that CAHs are addressing the growing need through a variety of approaches including the use of innovative models that utilize non‐local providers and telemedicine to expand access to crucial services for rural residents with cancer.