Hospitals can close rural cancer care gaps

The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer (CoC) has launched a new accreditation category aimed at improving rural cancer care in underserved communities. Rural hospitals often experience challenges such as resource constraints, workforce shortages, and limited access to specialty services, making it difficult for them to achieve and maintain accreditation. However, the new category tailors accreditation requirements to the unique needs of rural hospitals, making it more attainable.

The new rural accreditation category focuses on evidence-based standards designed to enhance patient-centered cancer care. It modifies existing requirements, including staffing and patient service criteria, while preserving a strong emphasis on the standards that have proven effective in improving cancer care quality. Despite cancer incidence being similar in rural and urban areas, death rates are approximately 15% higher in rural communities, with the disparity widening over time.

Factors contributing to this disparity include reduced access to screening, specialists, and coordinated care, as well as longer travel distances and higher rates of pre-existing health conditions.

Approximately 1 in 5 Americans reside in rural areas, where cancer mortality is higher than in urban regions. A significant challenge is the scarcity of specialists; about 60% of rural counties lack an active general surgeon, and 66% have no oncologist. Consequently, rural patients are less likely to receive guideline-recommended cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and survivorship services.

CoC accreditation is distinctive in its coverage of the entire cancer care continuum, from screening to diagnosis and survivorship. It provides hospitals with a practical framework to deliver comprehensive, high-quality care. Research indicates that accreditation enhances a hospital's ability to provide comprehensive cancer care and continuously improve quality.

In Iowa, the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network, inspired by the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network at the University of Kentucky, has been established to assist rural hospitals in expanding services and achieving CoC accreditation.

Eligible rural hospitals, including those in counties classified as RUCC 4–9 based on USDA criteria measuring urban-rural status, can apply for the new accreditation category. Once they comply with the standards for one year, they can request a site visit. For further information on rural cancer care and the ACS's efforts to improve care delivery in these communities, visit the ACS website.