Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41947875›Full record

ArticlePalliative care and social practice2026

A descriptive study of cancer care experiences and burden of rural South Dakotans.

Sarah Mollman, Teddi Dowling, Patricia Woolridge, Jamie Hillmer, James Odom, Marie Bakitas, Hossein Moradi Rekabdarkolaee, Brandon M Varilek

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative care and social practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sarah MollmanSouth Dakota State University College of Nursing, Rapid City, SD, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3432-660X
Teddi DowlingAvera Health, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3340-2382
Patricia WoolridgeAvera Health, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0754-3405
Jamie HillmerAvera Health, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0979-8243
James OdomThe University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing - Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, AL, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6764-0254
Marie BakitasThe University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing - Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, AL, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2913-2053
Hossein Moradi RekabdarkolaeeDepartment of Applied Statistics and Operations Research, Bowling Green State University, OH, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3449-4953
Brandon M VarilekUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Omaha, NE, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9426-5453

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: American Indian (AI) persons with advanced cancer (PwAC) in South Dakota have seen increased rates of cancer incidence and mortality compared to national rates. These inequities are driven by social determinants of health. Providing early palliative care is highly important for rural PwAC but is sparsely available in rural South Dakota. Objective: To explore cancer care experiences and patient symptoms and caregiver burden among AI and rural PwAC, and their family caregivers (FCGs), to understand the barriers and opportunities for adapting an early palliative care intervention. Design: Descriptive study design reporting on the qualitative and quantitative data collected. Methods: PwAC and FCG participants were recruited from a rural healthcare facility delivering cancer care and serving AI tribal and rural/frontier populations. Quantitative data were collected using online surveys to discover symptoms and caregiving burden among PwAC ( Results: PwAC experience moderate symptom burden with 83.3% lacking energy, 77.8% feeling drowsy, and 72.2% feeling pain. FCGs experience high caregiver burden across all three subscales of the caregiving scale. Qualitative analysis found an overarching category of "Healthcare Fragmentation Amplified by Living in a Rural/Frontier Location" with three underlying codes: "Being Seen and Heard: Value-Based Connection to Distant Resources," "Facilitating Decision Making from Afar," and "Problem Solving Skills and Solutions." Conclusion: This study demonstrates that rural cancer care is challenged by multiple factors, including fragmented healthcare, lack of healthcare infrastructure, and vast travel distances. This greatly impacts PwAC and FCG's ability to feel seen and heard, make decisions, and problem-solve. Supportive programs designed for the local rural context are imperative to improve the quality of life for rural PwAC and their FCGs.

Indexed as

advanced cancercancer symptom burdencaregiver burdenfrontierrural

Identifiers

PMID41947875
PMCPMC13051176

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.