Defining and Evaluating Catchment Areas for Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Keywords: Spatial Accessibility, GIS, Cancer, Health & Medical Geography, Public Health
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) funds cancer centers throughout the U.S. to assure that state-of-the-art treatments and clinical trials are available for cancer patients. Comprehensive cancer centers assist with diffusion of knowledge and services among the population with cancer and physicians caring for these patients through a variety of mechanisms. In addition, NCI directs cancer centers to address the burden of cancer and to support research that addresses the needs of those patients’ residence in the catchment area(s). We utilize spatial and spatiotemporal techniques to examine our newly defined catchment areas of the Johns Hopkins' Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC). Data were obtained from from Johns Hopkins Hospital Cancer Registry (patients by zip-code, cancer
stage, and class of case), the CDC Wonder database, and the U.S. Census. We analyze catchment/non-catchment area patients, and how these two groups of patients differ by their demographic, zip-code level SES, and disease specific characteristics, as well as distance travelled. Specifically, statistical models are employed to characterize yearly catchment areas for patient subpopulations to understand how access to care and cancer outcomes vary by numerous factors, such as sex, age, race, cancer type and stage, and socio-economic status. We also conduct prospective SKCCC catchment area analyses informed by various scenarios for the next 10 years to facilitate cancer care decision making. The results of this research can identify geographic areas that may require improved cancer care accessibility, preventative screening campaigns, and other targeted interventions that can be implemented by SKCCC.