A recent study published in Health Data Science, conducted by Fengyu Wen, PhD, MPH, of the Institute of Medical Technology at Peking University Health Science Center; Luxia Zhang, MD, MPH, of the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University; and colleagues, revealed significant survival disparities among patients with cancer depending on their mobility patterns for medical care.
The study analyzed data from more than 20,000 patients with cancer in Shandong Province, China, to assess the impact of intra-city, local center, and national center mobility patterns on survival rates. Patients who traveled to local or national health-care centers had higher 5-year survival rates than did those who remained in their residential cities for treatment. Specifically, the 5-year survival rate was 69.3% for patients treated in local or national centers, compared with 65.4% for intra-city patients.
According to the investigators, these findings highlight critical disparities in health-care resource allocation and quality across regions. Patients seeking care in national or local centers often have access to more advanced treatments, better medical infrastructure, and experienced medical teams. However, such mobility also brings financial and psychological burdens, raising concerns about health-care equity.
Dr. Wen commented: “Our study underscores the importance of addressing survival disparities by improving the quality of cancer care in cities with limited health-care resources. Future efforts should focus on optimizing health-care accessibility and reducing barriers to high-quality cancer treatment.”
Looking ahead, the research team plans to incorporate more detailed data, including cancer stages and diagnosis timelines, to further refine their understanding of mobility patterns and survival outcomes. These insights will support the development of evidence-based strategies to reduce health-care inequities and potentially benefit survival outcomes.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit spj.science.org.