Barriers and enablers for older people at risk of and/or living with cancer to accessing timely cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment

This Evidence Check sought to discover the barriers and enablers for cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment amongst people aged 65 and over. It found 41 studies addressing these issues within Australia and countries with similar healthcare systems: New Zealand, the UK, and Canada. Across all three phases, a lack of knowledge and unhelpful beliefs about cancer and its treatment were barriers; inaccessible healthcare was also problematic. Enablers of screening, diagnosis and treatment included social influence, and knowledge of cancer and its associated healthcare processes was also influential. Gaps in the evidence were a limited number of studies specifically on this age group, and few studies from Australia or inclusive of diverse populations.

Boyes A, Bryant J, Hall A, Mansfield E. Barriers and enablers for older people at risk of and/or living with cancer to accessing timely cancer screening, diagnosis and treatments: an Evidence Check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute for the CINSW, 2022. doi:10.57022/ieoy3254