Microvideos for HPV Vaccination

This exploratory mixed-methods study aims to examine receipt of treatment and decision-making among rural cancer patients in Utah. Guided by Conceptual Model of Healthcare Access, the study will integrate, survey and cancer registry data with patient interviews to better understand how travel burden, socioeconomic conditions, health literacy, and other contextual factors shape treatment location and access to care . While the setting of this research is specific to Utah, a state with vast rural regions and only one National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, the findings may inform policy and practice improvements in other states with similar geographic and healthcare infrastructure. Thus, the study has potential relevance for advancing rural cancer equity nationwide.

Understanding how rural cancer patients make treatment decisions is essential to addressing persistent disparities in cancer care access and outcomes. While geographic barriers and structural inequities are well-documented, less is known about the individual and contextual factors that shape patients' choices about where and how to receive treatment. This mixed-methods study will examine receipt of treatment, decision-making, and patient experience among rural cancer patients in Utah, with attention to travel burden, referral pathways, health literacy, and perceived barriers to care.