Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Treatment Delay in an Urban Population.
Faye G ZhangRisha SheniChenxin ZhangViswanathan ShankarKevin FioriVikas MehtaPublished in: JCO oncology practice (2024)
Delays in oncologic TTI ≥45 days are independently associated with unmet social needs. ED or inpatient admissions before diagnosis increase care coordination, leading to improved TTI. Although limitations included the retrospective nature of the study and self-reporting bias, these findings more precisely identify targets for intervention that may more effectively decrease delay. Patients with SDoH barriers are at higher risk of treatment delay and could especially benefit from legal, transportation, caregiver, and housing assistance.