TY - JOUR
T1 - Disruptions in Oncology Care Confronted by Patients with Gynecologic Cancer Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico
AU - Calo, William A.
AU - Rivera, Mirza
AU - Mendez-Lazaro, Pablo A.
AU - Garcia-Camacho, Sandra I.
AU - Bernhardt Utz, Yanina M.
AU - Acosta-Perez, Edna
AU - Ortiz, Ana P.
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the support of graduate students Lianeris Estremera, Jaina Falcón, Beverly Bracero, and Joel Colón in qualitative data collection and analysis. The authors also thank Naydi Pérez Ríos and Andrea M. Pacheco Díaz for her valuable feedback on the codebook and this manuscript. We would also like to express our gratitude to the patients and oncology care providers and administrators who shared their experiences with us. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute grant #R21CA239457 and partially supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant #U54GM13380. EAP was also supported by the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant #U54GM133807. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute grant #R21CA239457 and partially supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant #U54GM13380. EAP was also supported by the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant #U54GM133807. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Background: In September 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria affected Puerto Rico (PR) and the US Virgin Islands (USVI), causing major disruptions in basic services and health care. This study documented the stressors and experiences of patients with gynecologic cancer receiving oncology care in PR following these hurricanes. Methods: We conducted 4 focus groups (December 2018-April 2019) among women aged ≥21 years from PR who were diagnosed with gynecological cancer between September 2016 and September 2018 (n = 24). Using the same eligibility criteria, we also interviewed patients from the USVI (n = 2) who were treated in PR. We also conducted key-informant interviews with oncology care providers and administrators (n = 23) serving gynecologic cancer patients in PR. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded to identify emergent themes using a constant comparison method. Results: Analyses of focus group discussions and interviews allowed us to identify the following emergent themes: 1) disruptions in oncology care were common; 2) communication between oncology providers and patients was challenging before and after the hurricanes hit; 3) patient resilience was key to resume care; and 4) local communities provided much-needed social support and resources. Conclusions: This study provides firsthand information about the disruptions in oncology care experienced by and the resiliency of women with gynecologic cancer following hurricanes Irma and Maria. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate oncology care in the preparedness and response plans of communities, health systems, and government agencies to maintain adequate care for cancer patients during and after disasters such as hurricanes.
AB - Background: In September 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria affected Puerto Rico (PR) and the US Virgin Islands (USVI), causing major disruptions in basic services and health care. This study documented the stressors and experiences of patients with gynecologic cancer receiving oncology care in PR following these hurricanes. Methods: We conducted 4 focus groups (December 2018-April 2019) among women aged ≥21 years from PR who were diagnosed with gynecological cancer between September 2016 and September 2018 (n = 24). Using the same eligibility criteria, we also interviewed patients from the USVI (n = 2) who were treated in PR. We also conducted key-informant interviews with oncology care providers and administrators (n = 23) serving gynecologic cancer patients in PR. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded to identify emergent themes using a constant comparison method. Results: Analyses of focus group discussions and interviews allowed us to identify the following emergent themes: 1) disruptions in oncology care were common; 2) communication between oncology providers and patients was challenging before and after the hurricanes hit; 3) patient resilience was key to resume care; and 4) local communities provided much-needed social support and resources. Conclusions: This study provides firsthand information about the disruptions in oncology care experienced by and the resiliency of women with gynecologic cancer following hurricanes Irma and Maria. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate oncology care in the preparedness and response plans of communities, health systems, and government agencies to maintain adequate care for cancer patients during and after disasters such as hurricanes.
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U2 - 10.1177/10732748221114691
DO - 10.1177/10732748221114691
M3 - Article
C2 - 35833604
AN - SCOPUS:85133998907
SN - 1073-2748
VL - 29
JO - Cancer Control
JF - Cancer Control
ER -