How Social Determinants Affect Cancer Care: Making Appointments a Priority

Going to regular healthcare appointments is a key part of taking care of yourself. Regular visits with your provider can help prevent, find, and treat cancer early.

It's normal to have to cancel an appointment every now and then. But if you keep missing most of your healthcare visits, there may be certain issues getting in the way. These can include problems with transportation, work schedules, or finances. Here is a closer look at some possible challenges you may be facing, and tips and resources to help you get the care you need.

Understanding SDOH and cancer

Your health is shaped every day by nonmedical factors. These include things like where you live, work, and go to school, and your access to transportation, healthcare, and food. These factors are known as social determinants of health (SDOH).

Research shows that SDOH play a big role in health. For instance, they can affect your chances of having a long-term (chronic) illness like cancer. That’s because depending on your environment, you may not have access to tools that help prevent and treat cancer, such as:

  • Screenings, which help find cancer early
  • Quality cancer care and treatments
  • Healthy foods and ways to exercise

Why keeping appointments matters

When you go to regular healthcare appointments, you have a better chance of staying healthy. That includes preventing cancer. Seeing your provider for routine checkups helps you to:

  • Find cancer early. Testing for cancer regularly can help find it at an early stage. This is usually when it's easier to treat.
  • Watch progress. Regular checkups let your provider track your health. They can see how your treatment is going and make changes to your care plan, if needed.
  • Get emotional support. Appointments give you a chance to talk about your concerns and ask questions. Your healthcare team is there to support you.

Challenges in keeping appointments

Not everyone is able to go to appointments to see their provider. There are many reasons why you might need to skip or cancel one. Some reasons might be:

  • Transportation. A lack of safe, reliable, and affordable ride options can make it hard to get to an appointment.
  • Work schedules. It might be tough to get time off from work to go to an appointment.
  • Financial strain. The costs of healthcare, like copays and transportation, can be too much for many people to afford.

Overcoming barriers to attend appointments

If going to appointments is hard for you, you’re not alone. There are steps you can take to make sure you get the healthcare you need.

First, talk to your healthcare team. Ask if there’s a care manager, social worker, or navigator on staff who can help you. They are often the best person to tell you about local resources.

If transportation is a challenge, local transportation services, public transit, medical transportation programs, or rideshare services may be able to help. Your healthcare system may also offer transportation assistance. These programs may be a good fit for you:

Talk with your employer if your work hours hold you back from attending appointments. They may be able to offer flexible scheduling, working from home, or using paid time off for appointments.

For healthcare costs, look into local organizations, charities, or your hospital for financial help. They may be able to help cover the costs of cancer care and related expenses. You can learn more about these sorts of programs at: