This study aims to assess travel time, associated costs, challenges and factors influencing healthcare facility choices among persons with cancer in Southern India.

An explanatory sequential mixed methods study.

The study was conducted in the cancer care outpatient department at a tertiary care centre in Puducherry, Southern India.

A total of 192 persons with cancer aged 18 to 65 years, diagnosed with breast, lip and oral cavity, cervical, lung or upper gastrointestinal cancers, and attending the cancer care centre between 2023 and 2024, were enrolled in the study through systematic random sampling. Additionally, 10 in-depth interviews were conducted using purposive sampling.

Of the 192 participants, 89 (46.4%) belonged to a lower socioeconomic group, and 178 (92.7%) reported experiencing financial hardship while undergoing cancer treatment. The median travel time to a tertiary care centre was 4.3 hours (IQR: 2.07–7.3), with a median direct non-medical cost of Indian Rupees (INR) 453 (IQR: 200–987). Median expenditures for travel, food and accommodation were INR 200 (IQR: 123–400), INR 360 (IQR: 150–613) and INR 30 (IQR: 20–60), respectively, per single visit. A significant proportion of participants (n=146, 76%) were unaware of nearby cancer treatment centres and relied on peer recommendations when choosing their place of treatment. Key challenges identified included long-distance travel, financial burden due to high food and transportation costs and limited affordability for accommodation.

The study highlights that prolonged travel time and associated costs pose substantial financial strain on cancer-affected families. Enhancing awareness of available healthcare facilities, implementing patient-friendly travel and accommodation support systems and decentralising cancer care services can improve accessibility and mitigate both travel and financial burdens.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the speech-language pathology (SLP) literature from 2012 to 2022 and evaluate authorship trends and factors associated with gender disparities.

Authorship across journals published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) was evaluated. Outcomes collected from each article included the gender of the first and senior authors, author department affiliations, study type, reported funding source and the country of origin. Three sets of linear regression models were explored to determine the probability of male first authorship, of male senior authorship, and of a study being funded.

A total of 2754 articles were identified for inclusion. The majority of the literature was authored by females, with 77% of first authors and 68% of senior authors being female. Studies with a male senior author were shown to be 4.05–4.67 times more likely to have a male first author than with a female senior author. Male senior authors were over-represented relative to their proportion of ASHA membership compared with female senior authors. Male authorship was associated with certain subtopics, including voice, stuttering and motor speech. Funding probability decreased for all authors regardless of gender between 2012 and 2022.

Implicit gender bias and societal gender stereotypes lead to a greater number of women in the field of SLP; the same biases and stereotypes often limit the research productivity and academic leadership potential of women in the field. Addressing these biases and stereotypes is vital to move towards gender equity in the field.