Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Email

Huntsman Cancer Institute Explores How to Reach Rural and Frontier Communities

Tracy Onega, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute and Professor of Population Sciences, University of Utah

A person who lives in a rural or frontier area who gets cancer is about 10% more likely to die from it than urban residents, an issue that we at Huntsman Cancer Institute grapple with every day. Our service area encompasses vast frontier and rural areas, serving communities across Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. Large portions of these states are rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, or frontier, with fewer than seven people per square mile.  

Aligning with National Cancer Plan goals to Eliminate Inequities, Deliver Optimal Care, and Engage Every Person, Huntsman Cancer Institute prioritizes our rural and frontier communities to ensure that they have access to adequate care, lifesaving cancer screenings, and education.  

To more thoroughly understand how we can best meet their unique needs, our Population Sciences Team developed the Community Health Assessment Survey, the first study of its kind. Prior attempts by other groups to survey rural and frontier residents were not successful because of very limited ability to reach these sparse communities. This has resulted in underrepresentation in national data sets.  

A total of 1,700 people participated in the study, with the following key findings: 

  • Nearly 75% of rural residents are concerned they or a loved one will get cancer. 
  • Most (91%) reported knowing little to nothing about cancer clinical trials.  
  • More than one in three (37%) say they had difficulty accessing cancer screenings. 
  • More than 40% reported that they can’t afford medical care.  
  • Many noted that they (68%) are not aware of programs to help pay for medical costs. 
  • Only 34% of residents believe they have access to necessary medical specialists. 
  • More than half (65%) say that increasing the number of visiting specialists would be a key way to improve access to care. 

These findings underscore the importance of access for our patients. Their insights will help us develop ways to improve cancer care in the communities we serve, reducing barriers to quality care that everyone deserves.

  • Updated:

If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions. In the case of permitted digital reproduction, please credit the National Cancer Institute as the source and link to the original NCI product using the original product's title; e.g., “Huntsman Cancer Institute Explores How to Reach Rural and Frontier Communities was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”

Email