Ohta Ryuichi, Sano Chiaki
Community Care, Unnan City Hospital, Unnan, JPN.
Community Medicine Management, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, JPN.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 7;16(9):e68890. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68890. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Prostate cancer is highly prevalent among older men and poses significant health challenges, particularly in rural areas where access to specialized care is limited. This narrative review aims to evaluate the quality of prostate cancer care in rural primary care settings, identify gaps, and suggest strategies for improvement. A comprehensive narrative review was conducted using PubMed to identify relevant studies published between April 2000 and August 2024. The search focused on articles discussing prostate cancer management in rural primary care, including challenges, outcomes, and collaborative practices. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed to assess the quality of care and potential areas for enhancement. The review highlighted significant disparities in prostate cancer care in rural areas, including limited access to urologists, variability in PSA testing practices, and socioeconomic and geographic barriers. Innovative models like telehealth and 'One Stop' Prostate Clinics (OSPCs) showed promise in addressing these challenges. However, gaps in long-term symptom management and follow-up care persist, emphasizing the need for comprehensive survivorship plans and targeted educational interventions for primary care physicians. Rural primary care settings face unique challenges in managing prostate cancer, necessitating tailored strategies to improve care quality. Enhancing collaboration between primary care physicians and urologists, expanding access to innovative care models, and addressing socioeconomic and geographic disparities are critical to improving outcomes for prostate cancer patients in rural areas. Future research should focus on developing and evaluating these strategies to ensure equitable care for all patients.
前列腺癌在老年男性中极为常见，并带来了重大的健康挑战，尤其是在获得专科护理机会有限的农村地区。本叙述性综述旨在评估农村基层医疗环境中前列腺癌护理的质量，找出差距，并提出改进策略。利用PubMed进行了全面的叙述性综述，以确定2000年4月至2024年8月期间发表的相关研究。搜索重点是讨论农村基层医疗中前列腺癌管理的文章，包括挑战、结果和协作实践。13项研究符合纳入标准，并进行了分析以评估护理质量和潜在的改进领域。该综述强调了农村地区前列腺癌护理存在的显著差异，包括获得泌尿科医生的机会有限、PSA检测实践的可变性以及社会经济和地理障碍。远程医疗和“一站式”前列腺癌诊所（OSPCs）等创新模式在应对这些挑战方面显示出了前景。然而，长期症状管理和后续护理方面的差距依然存在，这凸显了为基层医疗医生制定全面的生存计划和有针对性的教育干预措施的必要性。农村基层医疗环境在管理前列腺癌方面面临独特的挑战，需要量身定制策略以提高护理质量。加强基层医疗医生与泌尿科医生之间的合作、扩大获得创新护理模式的机会以及解决社会经济和地理差异对于改善农村地区前列腺癌患者的治疗结果至关重要。未来的研究应侧重于开发和评估这些策略，以确保为所有患者提供公平的护理。
