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Travel time to care does not affect survival for patients with colorectal cancer in northern Sweden : A data linkage study from the Risk North database

Sjöström, Olle ; Dahlin, Anna M. ; Silander, Gustav ; Syk, Ingvar LU ; Melin, Beatrice and Hellquist, Barbro Numan (2020) In PLoS ONE 15(8).
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Numerous prior studies, even from countries with free access to care, have associated long travel time to care with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: This is a data-linkage study of all 3718 patients with colorectal cancer, diagnosed between 2007 and 2013 in Northern Sweden, one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. Travel time to nearest hospital was calculated based on GPS coordinates and multivariable Cox regression was used to analyse possible associations between travel time and cause-specific survival. RESULTS: No association between travel time and survival was observed, either in univariable analysis (colon HR 1.00 [95% CI 0.998-1.003]; rectal HR 0.998; [95% CI 0.995-1.002]) or in... (More)

INTRODUCTION: Numerous prior studies, even from countries with free access to care, have associated long travel time to care with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: This is a data-linkage study of all 3718 patients with colorectal cancer, diagnosed between 2007 and 2013 in Northern Sweden, one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. Travel time to nearest hospital was calculated based on GPS coordinates and multivariable Cox regression was used to analyse possible associations between travel time and cause-specific survival. RESULTS: No association between travel time and survival was observed, either in univariable analysis (colon HR 1.00 [95% CI 0.998-1.003]; rectal HR 0.998; [95% CI 0.995-1.002]) or in multivariable Cox regression analysis (colon HR 0.999 [95% CI 0.997-1.002]; rectal HR 0.997 [95% CI 0.992-1.002]). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to most other studies, no association between travel time and colorectal cancer survival was found; despite that longer travel time was associated with known risk factors for poorer outcome. In the Swedish health care setting, travel time does not appear to represent a barrier to care or to negatively influence outcomes.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
PLoS ONE
volume
15
issue
8
article number
e0236799
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85089170391
  • pmid:32756574
ISSN
1932-6203
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0236799
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7412e9bb-5c8e-48d3-8b61-e1b9e151e97a
date added to LUP
2020-08-19 09:10:31
date last changed
2024-04-03 12:26:14
@article{7412e9bb-5c8e-48d3-8b61-e1b9e151e97a,
  abstract     = {{<p>INTRODUCTION: Numerous prior studies, even from countries with free access to care, have associated long travel time to care with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: This is a data-linkage study of all 3718 patients with colorectal cancer, diagnosed between 2007 and 2013 in Northern Sweden, one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. Travel time to nearest hospital was calculated based on GPS coordinates and multivariable Cox regression was used to analyse possible associations between travel time and cause-specific survival. RESULTS: No association between travel time and survival was observed, either in univariable analysis (colon HR 1.00 [95% CI 0.998-1.003]; rectal HR 0.998; [95% CI 0.995-1.002]) or in multivariable Cox regression analysis (colon HR 0.999 [95% CI 0.997-1.002]; rectal HR 0.997 [95% CI 0.992-1.002]). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to most other studies, no association between travel time and colorectal cancer survival was found; despite that longer travel time was associated with known risk factors for poorer outcome. In the Swedish health care setting, travel time does not appear to represent a barrier to care or to negatively influence outcomes.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sjöström, Olle and Dahlin, Anna M. and Silander, Gustav and Syk, Ingvar and Melin, Beatrice and Hellquist, Barbro Numan}},
  issn         = {{1932-6203}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS ONE}},
  title        = {{Travel time to care does not affect survival for patients with colorectal cancer in northern Sweden : A data linkage study from the Risk North database}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236799}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pone.0236799}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}