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Impact of rurality on processes and outcomes in melanoma care: results from a whole-Scotland melanoma cohort in primary and secondary care.
- Source :
-
The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners [Br J Gen Pract] 2018 Aug; Vol. 68 (673), pp. e566-e575. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Jun 18. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Background: Those living in rural areas have poorer cancer outcomes, but current evidence on how rurality impacts melanoma care and survival is contradictory.<br />Aim: To investigate the impact of rurality on setting of melanoma excision and mortality in a whole-nation cohort.<br />Design and Setting: Analysis of linked routine healthcare data comprising every individual in Scotland diagnosed with melanoma, January 2005-December 2013, in primary and secondary care.<br />Method: Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between rurality and setting of melanoma excision; Cox proportional hazards regression between rurality and mortality was used, with adjustments for key confounders.<br />Results: In total 9519 patients were included (54.3% [ n = 5167] female, mean age 60.2 years [SD 17.5]). Of melanomas where setting of excision was known, 90.3% ( n = 8598) were in secondary care and 8.1% ( n = 771) in primary care. Odds of primary care excision increased with increasing rurality/remoteness. Compared with those in urban areas, those in the most remote rural locations had almost twice the odds of melanoma excision in primary care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33 to 2.77). No significant association was found between urban or rural residency and all-cause mortality. Melanoma-specific mortality was significantly lower in individuals residing in accessible small towns than in large urban areas (adjusted hazards ratio [HR] 0.53; 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.87) with no trend towards poorer survival with increasing rurality.<br />Conclusion: Patients in Scottish rural locations were more likely to have a melanoma excised in primary care. However, those in rural areas did not have significantly increased mortality from melanoma. Together these findings suggest that current UK melanoma management guidelines could be revised to be more realistic by recognising the role of primary care in the prompt diagnosis and treatment of those in rural locations.<br /> (© British Journal of General Practice 2018.)
- Subjects :
- Aged
Biopsy statistics & numerical data
Female
Health Services Research
Humans
Male
Melanoma diagnosis
Melanoma mortality
Melanoma surgery
Middle Aged
Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
Proportional Hazards Models
Rural Population
Scotland epidemiology
Skin Neoplasms diagnosis
Skin Neoplasms mortality
Skin Neoplasms surgery
Melanoma therapy
Primary Health Care
Rural Health
Secondary Care
Skin Neoplasms therapy
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1478-5242
- Volume :
- 68
- Issue :
- 673
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 29914883
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X697901