A mixed-methods study of adolescent and young adult cancer patient’s preferences for patient navigation services by distance from cancer treatment centers.

155 Background: We describe patient navigator preferences for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients by geographical distance from cancer treatment centers. Methods: In this mixed methods study, N = 39 participants were recruited primarily from oncology clinics in Utah. Participants were diagnosed between ages 15-39 and had completed ≥ 1 month of treatment. Participants were interviewed and surveyed on preferences for patient navigation. Thematic content analysis revealed navigation preferences based on participants’ travel distance from their treatment center, classified as < 20 miles (local) and ≥ 20 miles (distance). Qualitative data was quantized and the proportion of codes in each theme was compared by travel distance using two-tailed z-scores. Results: Mean travel distance to cancer treatment center was 53.5 miles (SD = 77.4); 53.8% of participants were local ( < 20 miles) and 46.2% were distance ( ≥ 20 miles). There were no differences by age or ethnicity. Local patients were less likely to endorse that travel distance was a challenge for their oncology appointments than distance patients (25.0% vs. 75.0%, p = 0.01). Local patients reported a higher proportion of codes (62.5%) related to believing a patient navigator would be helpful to them compared to distance patients (37.5%, p = 0.01). Connecting with a patient navigator at the time of first diagnosis was endorsed by more local patients than distance (66.7% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.01). Local patients reported a greater need for navigation support regarding finances (local 69.6% vs. distance 30.4%, p = < 0.001) and social support (local 87.5% vs. distance 12.5%, p = 0.03). Most participants, regardless of travel distance, desired navigation primarily via telephone (audio and text messaging). Conclusions: While AYAs with cancer living further from their treatment location were more likely to report that travel was a barrier, local AYAs reported more needs related to patient navigation than remote patients. Patient navigators may need to consider different support services for distanced patients including strategies to address geographic barriers to care.