Approximately two million new cancer cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. One of the most important aspects of cancer care for many patients won’t be a breakthrough in chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. Instead, it will be reliable transportation to and from care.
Access to healthcare providers is a significant factor in determining patient outcomes. Though not considered a breakthrough, transportation to lifesaving cancer treatment is a vital component of care for elderly, rural, low-income, uninsured, or underinsured cancer patients.
National survey data suggests that about 3.1% of cancer survivors reported delaying care because of transportation barriers last year, representing roughly 476,000 Americans.
Unlike some other medical procedures, cancer treatments depend on consistency and repetition to be effective. The regimen for a typical cancer patient will often require multiple weekly visits to healthcare professionals for infusions, scans, blood draws, and follow-up visits.
These therapies often last for months and even years, and to be most effective, these appointments can’t be missed. Cancer is a disease of rapid growth that needs to be vigilantly monitored and regularly treated. Reliable medical transportation is a component of care that prevents delays and contributes to lifesaving outcomes.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) provides access to critical cancer care for patients when they can’t drive themselves or don’t have public transportation options. Each ride has meaning. Each trip provides hope.
Transportation barriers cost lives. Insecurity about transportation can lead to missed appointments and delayed care, and obstacles are more common for cancer patients than for the general population. This disparity contributes to higher numbers of emergency room visits and increased mortality rates.
Caregivers, families, clinicians, and healthcare systems are all negatively affected by a lack of transportation for cancer patients. For many Americans, NEMT is a critical component of cancer care.
We in the NEMT industry have a role to play in making sure that every person with cancer — regardless of where they live or how they move — can arrive on time for the appointment they need. Because sometimes, the difference between life and death is not determined by complex clinical trials or invasive procedures; it’s whether someone can catch a ride.
Photo: FatCamera, Getty Images
Darren Harline is Chief Operating Officer of American Logistics, a technology platform that coordinates Non‑Emergency Medical Transportation services through a nationwide network of certified providers, dedicated to improving healthcare access for individuals with special needs across the United States.
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