Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center has implemented a transportation program to address the common problem of cancer patients lacking transportation to vital appointments. Now in its fifth year, the program offers free rides to hundreds of cancer patients and has expanded to include certain cancer screening appointments like colonoscopies and mammograms.
The transportation program is part of a community outreach initiative aimed at overcoming barriers to care. According to organizers, it has helped reduce the number of missed appointments and has enabled more patients to participate in clinical trials that require multiple visits to medical clinics.
Between July and November of last year, only 2% of Abramson’s hematology oncology patients missed their appointments, a significant decrease compared to the double-digit no-show rates at other cancer centers. Additionally, the percentage of Abramson patients enrolled in clinical trials increased from 12% five years ago to 24% in 2021.
While the gains cannot be solely attributed to the transportation program, Abramson Director Robert Vonderheide emphasized its critical role in improving access to treatment and clinical trials, particularly among Black and Latino patients. These communities often face higher rates of missed appointments and are underrepresented in clinical trials.
Vonderheide highlighted the potential impact of solving the transportation barrier for patients, stating that it may not appear as groundbreaking as a new cell or gene therapy, but it holds immense potential to improve patient outcomes.
Penn launched its rideshare program in 2017 through a partnership with Ride Health, a New York-based healthcare company founded by Penn graduate Imran Cronk. Cronk’s experience volunteering at a hospital in North Carolina, where he encountered an elderly patient without transportation to go home, sparked the idea for the program.
According to a nationally representative healthcare survey conducted by the Urban Institute, around 5% of people in the United States have missed medical care due to transportation issues. The study revealed that Black and Hispanic patients, as well as those with lower incomes, were more likely to miss appointments because of transportation challenges. Additionally, 21% of individuals who lacked a car and resided in neighborhoods with limited public transit reported missing appointments due to no means of transportation.
Transportation is a significant hurdle for cancer patients, as Heather Sheaffer, the director of patient and family services at Abramson, explained. Many patients have treatment plans requiring numerous appointments but are unable to drive themselves home due to medication. She stated that the transportation program serves as a solution to ensure patients do not miss their appointments.
Abramson assigns a social worker or case manager to patients prior to starting treatment to discuss logistics, including transportation. Patients who lack reliable transportation are eligible for the rideshare program.
Case managers use an online portal to request the appropriate type of ride for their patients. Ride Health collaborates with Uber and Lyft, as well as medical vans and private ambulances when necessary.
In an average month, Penn arranges approximately 150 rides for patients receiving treatment at Abramson’s main location and satellite offices. Last year, the program expanded to include patients in need of transportation for preventive cancer screenings, such as colonoscopies and mammograms.
Dr. Carmen Guerra, a professor of medicine at Penn specializing in cancer health equity, stated that improving screening rates and diagnosing cancer earlier could reduce overall treatment costs for patients. The initiative could also save health systems money if the cost of rides for screening exams is lower than the cost of missed cancer treatment appointments.
Investing in a $15 ride to access potentially life-saving tests makes sense, rather than waiting until patients end up in the emergency room, according to Guerra.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it