In a study funded by the federal, researchers from the Huntsman Institute at the University of Utah (U) found that 7% of Medicare Cross State Borders’ patients for cancer care and rates were almost double for those living in rural areas. This has significant consequences for telecommunications policies and a doctor’s license, says Tracy Onega, PhD, MA, MPAS, MS, senior study author, senior director of the population sciences at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Professor of Population Sciences at U.
Patients with cancer, especially in rural areas, often travel long distances to receive specialized cancer care. But there are restrictions on how doctors can follow their patients and practice state lines, in essence, with Telehealth. We can use the data from this study to inform politics and practices in order to abolish this type of barrier in healthcare. ”
Tracy Onega, PhD, MA, MPAS, MS, Senior Study Author, Senior Population Science Director at Huntsman Cancer Institute and Professor of Population Sciences in U U
The results of the group of which were published Open the Jama Network-Incard more than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. For patients who participated in the Federal Health Insurance Program, designed to cover health care for Americans over 65, found that 8.3% of all cancer patients crossed state lines for surgery, 6.7% for 5% for surgery.
These elements were much higher for rural patients. Among this population, 18.5% traveled to other states for surgery, 16.9% for radiotherapy and 16.3% for chemotherapy.
Onega says that telemedicine, health -related care through virtual talks with a healthcare professional cannot replace these types of services provided in a clinical environment. Instead, he says that telemedicine can be filled in gaps in cancer treatment.
“Patients travel in state lines for specialized cancer treatment services that need to be done in a brick clinic and mortars, but surgical evaluation and follow -up could be offered by Telehealth.” This would reduce additional travel loads for all patients and carers.
Telehealth in Cancer Care can also be used to manage the treatment -related side effects, clinical trial controls and prevention services.
Onega reports that access to this service is particularly important for the Huntsman Cancer Institute, whose clinicians provide comprehensive care for cancer to a large extent of rural mountainous western states: Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah. Many patients travel long distances to access health care, in particular the type of specialized care required to treat cancer.
The use of telemedicine in health care has been developed by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the National Health Statistics Center, 37% of adults over the age of 18 found it used to use Telehealth in 2022.
But the obstacles remain. Medicine practice is governed by individual state medical councils and intersectional licensing policies vary according to the state. Some states have more favorable telecommunications policies, encouraging linked care regardless of the location, while others have maintained decades of policies that preceding telecommunications technologies. Unfortunately, for many agricultural patients, the outdated administration of medical license forbids their providers from participating with them through telecommunication.
“Some states have reciprocity, which means that a doctor who has been licensed in Utah may also have a license automatically in the next situation, but this is limited,” Onega says. “It would be great to expand these options so that we do not have so many of these obstacles for doctors to be able to provide services in state lines from Telehealth.”
Onega says that a changing policy could mean better results for patients, carers, supply groups and insurers.
“Patients are always the first, we have so many improvements in cancer care technologies now, many of which benefit from patients’ results, people live longer and better lives after cancer diagnosis,” Onega says. “We want to make sure that people living away from an urban area can have all the same benefits.”
The research described in this release is supported by the Institute of National Institutes of Health/National Cancer, including the P30 CA042014 and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Source:
Magazine report:
Moen, el, et al. (2025). Cross -care routes for cancer care and the consequences for the reciprocity of telecommunication. Open the Jama Network. Doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.61021.
