Adapting Survivorship Care to Rural Practice, Translating Rural Evidence into Policy

Abstract In response to the widening rural-urban cancer mortality gap in the US, our parent research project aimed to improve access to comprehensive cancer care in rural communities by extending the resources and expertise of a large academic medical center out to a network of rural community cancer centers to improve the quality and

comprehensiveness of care across the cancer continuum, from diagnosis and treatment to survivorship services. This initiative holds particular significance for Iowa, which, like other rural states, has witnessed a surge in cancer incidence coupled with rising prevalence of cancer survivors. The primary aim of the parent

grant was to effectively implement an adapted affiliate cancer network model to meet the unique needs of rural Iowa cancer centers. Building on our progress, this current supplement leverages the mentoring skills of our Principal Investigator (PI) to promote the sustainability of our network intervention and develop the next

generation of rural cancer researchers. Having already identified the importance of adapting evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of rural cancer center administrators and providers, our first supplemental objective is to host a novel cancer survivorship workshop designed specifically for rural providers,

administrators, and policymakers. Under the mentorship of our PI, two early-stage investigators in the fields of implementation science and disparities research will lead efforts to adapt and implement a rural cancer survivorship workshop from a model created at the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

This rural cancer survivorship workshop is poised to bolster the capacity of stakeholders within the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network (I-CAN) to deliver cancer survivorship services in their rural communities. The second mentoring aim of this supplemental proposal aims to continue efforts ensuring that rural cancer

survivorship research translates to effective rural policy and practice. To promote effective engagement with policymakers, the PI will mentor an early-stage rural cancer research trainee and equip him with the skills to communicate and network with a broader public policymaking audience. The mentee will be integrated into

the PI’s extensive network of academic, healthcare, and policymaking leaders in Iowa, facilitating the creation and distribution of rural cancer equity products to key decision-making stakeholders. At the end of the supplemental grant, the mentee will disseminate reports to policy makers in each of Iowa’s 99 counties (78

being rural). By detailing the cancer burden of their specific county, policymakers will be better equipped to prioritize cancer prevention and control strategies. The parent research project represents a collaborative effort, featuring a diverse research team committed to addressing the challenges facing rural patients and

cancer centers. This proposal supplements our novel intervention to promote its sustainability and cultivate the next generation of rural cancer leaders, advancing the NIH’s mission to create a more diverse workforce.