UAMS Study Finds Digital Barriers May Limit Rural Cancer Survivors from Participating in Research
| LITTLE ROCK — Limited access to digital resources may be one reason why rural cancer survivors are underrepresented in cancer research, according to researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation.
Researchers found that rural cancer survivors were willing to participate in cancer research studies. However, factors such as limited broadband access and fewer digital resources may prevent rural and older residents from fully engaging in cancer research studies.
In Participation in Cancer Survivorship Survey Research: Difference by Rurality and Age, published in Cambridge’s Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, researchers found that rural and older cancer survivors prefer mail-in surveys and phone calls as research participation methods, while urban and younger cancer survivors are more likely to choose digital options such as email, text messages or online surveys.
“Including participation methods that work best for rural and older cancer survivors is essential to ensuring that all voices and experiences are represented, and that research findings accurately represent every community in Arkansas,” said Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., director of the institute.
The study findings highlight the importance of not only offering nondigital methods for research participation for those who have limited access to digital resources, but also the national push to better include rural communities in cancer research.
“Improving survivorship requires understanding survivorship,” said Emily Hallgren, a former researcher for the institute and lead researcher on the study who is now an assistant professor at the University of Vermont Department of Medicine and the deputy associate director of community outreach and engagement at the University of Vermont Cancer Center. “To ensure everyone receives the same cancer treatments and care, we must remove the barriers that prevent rural and older survivors from having a voice in the science that shapes their care.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###