Adequate care during a cancer diagnosis is vital for patient and caregiver health. Over 50% of caregivers report unmet needs within 6-8 months of a care recipient’s cancer diagnosis, with 40% persisting up to 5 years1. This study explores challenges in health system interactions faced by cancer caregivers in regional, rural, and remote Australia.
Data were collected via a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were Australian residents aged 18+ years or older, who had cared for someone with cancer in the past 5 years (the person living with cancer was 15+ at diagnosis). The study aims to recruit 200 non-metropolitan carers by the end of the recruitment period. Carers self-reported their own, and the care recipient's, demographics and clinical details. To assess experiences with health professionals and the health system, respondents rated their agreement with various statements on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
A total of 299 participants (n=147 regional/rural/remote) completed the survey. Most carers were women (95%) caring for someone with bowel (11%), lymphoma (10%), breast (10%) lung (10%) or prostate cancer (9%). Following adjustment for age, gender, education, employment, and carer status, carers from regional/rural/remote areas were more likely to agree that "Healthcare providers have helped [them] understand supports and services available for the person [they] care for" (AOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.6, p=0.005) and that "[they] always understand the needs of the person [they] care for" (AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2, p=0.008). They were significantly less likely to agree that "I spend quite a lot of time actively managing my own health" (AOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.82, p=0.009).
Regional, rural, and remote cancer caregivers reported understanding care needs and available supports for their care recipient, but often neglect their own health, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.