Education, telehealth, and access initiatives aim to improve cancer care for veterans

Education, telehealth, and access initiatives aim to improve cancer care for veterans
OncLive; by Kyle Doherty; 11/26/24 
Manali I. Patel, MD, MPH, MS, details several interventions developed to better serve veterans with cancer who are experiencing economic, social, and geographic barriers to care. Despite having the option of cancer care through the Veterans Affairs (VA) health network, veterans with cancer still experience economic, social, and geographic barriers to receiving high-quality care. This has prompted investigators to develop several interventions to better serve these patients. “Veterans have higher rates of lung cancer [compared with] civilian populations; prostate and bladder cancer [rates] are also pronounced [among] veterans, [and we also see] higher rates of melanoma, [all] largely due to exogenous exposure risk,” Manali I. Patel, MD, MPH, MS, said in an interview with Oncology Live. “One of the biggest barriers [to cancer care] for veterans is the lack of system level resources that can ensure veterans understand the diagnosis and treatment options, such that veterans receive care that is concordant with their goals, preferences, and values. Cancer care is quite complex and trying to not only coordinate care but explain the nuances in plain language is challenging. Having resources [available] that proactively assist veterans in their understanding and support them through cancer care is what is most needed to improve patient outcomes.”