Posters Abstracts

Background: There is growing evidence to suggest that some rural and remote populations have higher rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality as well as poorer access to treatment when compared to their urban counterparts.This is somewhat a result of variation in socio-economic deprivation.However, there remains limited exploration and understanding surrounding the qualitative experiences of people living with lung cancer who reside in rural and remote areas.Aim: To conduct a rapid evidence synthesis to explore the qualitative experiences of people living with lung cancer who reside in rural and remote areas.Methods: Keyword searches were performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO.Searches were limited to identify evidence between 2000 and 2022 and included studies published in the English language only.Whilst no search limits were set on geography, only studies conducted in high income countries as defined by membership of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development were included.The analysis of articles was conducted using the qualitative evidence synthesis approach developed by Thomas and Harden.Results/Conclusions: Eight articles were included in this review.The analysis of qualitative data identified five overarching themes: (1) experiences with heath care professionals, (2) cancer management process, (3) barriers to accessing services, (4) knowledge and awareness of disease, and (5) impact on themselves and others.Our findings suggest that people living with lung cancer who reside in rural and remote areas experience unique challenges related to the management of their condition in addition to the access and quality of care.These findings contribute to a greater understanding of the social and geographical experiences of individuals living with lung cancer which may be used to potentially inform future research and service provisions in addressing the most important health disparities they may face.