Access to supportive care during and after cancer treatment and the impact of socioeconomic factors

AbstractBackground: Sweden’s national cancer strategy points out several areas of cancer care that need improvements. Among them the need for supportive care resources to be accessible through the entire cancer trajectory and the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities. The aim of this study was to compare the patient-reported access to supportive care in the Stockholm-Gotland region between patients diagnosed in 2014 and 2016. The aim was also to describe how socioeconomic and other demographic factors impact access to supportive care.Material and methods: All patients with gynaecological, head and neck, haematological and upper gastrointestinal cancers diagnosed in the Stockholm-Gotland regions were identified through the Swedish Cancer Registries. Data were collected via a questionnaire on demographic, socioeconomic factors and patients’ perception (n = 1872) of access to supportive care. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and logistic regression was used for relevant variables.Results: ...