Expert Stresses Importance of Transportation Security to Improve Cancer Care

Transportation insecurity can emerge from poverty, not having secure employment, lacking the access to services, not having social support, and more, according to Krisda Chaiyachati, MD, MPH. For patients undergoing active cancer treatment, transportation insecurity can lead to poor health and worse outcomes for patients, including cancer recurrence or worse mortality rates.

To combat the issue, the survey aimed to evaluate how cancer centers assess and manage transportation insecurity among their patients. The NCCN Best Practices Committee (BCP) was used to screen patients for transportation insecurity, coordinate transportation, and fund transportation initiatives, in hopes to address some of these challenges in the future.

According to the NCCN BPC survey and Chaiyachati, the key findings include that while a lot of cancer centers have started creating processes for screening, coordinating, or funding transportation, few centers have a standardized approach. There is also variability regarding how centers cover these transportation services.