1. Primary care triaging of head and neck cancer referrals using the head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2: impact on a tertiary head and neck service.
- Author
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Li, L, Tikka, T, Morton, C, Chan, C, Hayois, L, Henderson, M, Hastie, C, Lee, L, Porteus, L, and Nixon, I
- Subjects
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STATISTICAL significance , *MEDICAL triage , *HEAD & neck cancer , *EARLY detection of cancer , *TERTIARY care , *PRIMARY health care , *RISK assessment , *MEDICAL care use , *MEDICAL referrals , *CHI-squared test , *ELECTRONIC health records , *MEDICAL appointments , *DATA analysis software , *CANCER patient medical care - Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the use of the head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 in a primary care setting and to evaluate the impact of the risk calculator on the number of referrals stratified by urgency and cancer yield. Method: Referrals between April 2019 and August 2019, April 2020 and July 2020 (pre-risk calculator) and August 2020 and July 2021 (post-risk calculator) were analysed. Referral urgency, head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 score, cancer diagnosis, cancer type and further investigations were recorded. Results: The 2023 patient encounters were analysed; there were 1110 (55 per cent) referrals before head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 use and 913 (45 per cent) after head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 use. A higher proportion of older (p < 0.001) and male (p < 0.013) patients were seen post-head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 use. All cancer cases were seen on the urgent suspicion of cancer pathway post-head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 use; however, a higher proportion of patients were seen as urgent suspicion of cancer (51.1 vs 83.5 per cent; p < 0.001). Overall, the cancer diagnosis rate increased from 2.7 to 4.1 per cent. Conclusion: The head and neck cancer risk calculator version 2 had high sensitivity in cancer diagnosis. More studies are required to optimise the predicted versus actual cancer probability gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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