Date of Award

Spring 2-27-2026

Embargo Period

12-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation - MUSC Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Health Administration

Department

Health Administration

College

College of Health Professions

First Advisor

Jillian Harvey

Second Advisor

Caitlin Koob

Third Advisor

Susan Rux

Abstract

Young adults (YAs) diagnosed with cancer face unique psychosocial, financial, and developmental challenges that are often inadequately addressed within traditional oncology care. This multimethod pilot study evaluated unmet care needs and their implications on daily life of YAs with cancer aged 18–39 who were treated at a cancer center in Pennsylvania. Adolescents and young adults are denoted as “AYA” when referring to the literature on this broader population; however, this study focuses on young adults (“YA”) as a subset of this population, including those aged 18 to 39 years old. A comprehensive needs assessment survey was developed to better understand the unmet needs of YAs with cancer within this treatment center, and respondents shared their experiences, capturing quantitative and qualitative data across domains, including work and education, financial toxicity, psychosocial distress, healthcare navigation, social relationships, reproductive health, and supportive service needs. Findings revealed substantial disruptions in daily functioning, including difficulty managing work or school responsibilities and struggling with household tasks. The findings from this study demonstrated that many unmet needs are present at or near diagnosis and persist through treatment and survivorship, underscoring the need for proactive rather than reactive interventions. By providing a structured, replicable framework for assessing unmet needs, this tool has the potential to support more equitable, patient-centered care and to improve quality of life and long-term outcomes for YAs with cancer.

Rights

Copyright is held by the author. All rights reserved.

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Available for download on Tuesday, December 01, 2026

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