271493 Comparing Stage at Diagnosis among Breast Cancer Patients Served by Military and Civilian Medical Care Systems

Monday, October 29, 2012

Silvija Salai, Public Health Doctoral Student , Cancer Vaccine Development Program, Walden University; Brooke Army Medical Center - workplace, Ft. Sam Houston, TX
Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the top cancer deaths in women in the United States and little is known about differences in access to health care between military and civilians. This study will compare differences, if any, of access to health care between military and civilian female breast cancer (BC) patients. In particular, this study will examine whether BC patients in an equal access health care system such as the military get diagnosed at an earlier stage of disease process in comparison to the BC patients in the civilian health care system. This study is relying on the cancer staging theory and is based on differences in access to health care. The independent variables include military vs. civilian care and demographic variables. The dependent variable is the stage of cancer at diagnosis. The total sample size of 430 was calculated using Open Epi version 2.3.1. This cross-sectional retrospective study of two groups will include data for years 2004 through 2008. Multiple regression analysis will be used to test the hypothesis and control for confounders. The social change implication from this research study is the better understanding of the differences in access to care between the military equal access health care system and the civilian health care system as well as the potential of using the results of this study to further the support for the social, economical and political debate over providing an equal access health care system to all Americans in the United States.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Analyze whether breast cancer patients in the military hospital vs. general civilian patients differ in regards to stage of breast cancer at diagnosis.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Access to Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I work as Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer for a Cancer Vaccine Development Program as an Army contractor. i am a Public Health doctoral student at Walden University.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.