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Primary care practitioners’ diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer: an exploratory vignette study in 20 European countries
- Source :
- BMJ Open, Volume 10, Issue 10, Harris, M, Brekke, M, Dinant, G J, Esteva, M, Hoffman, R, Marzo-Castillejo, M, Murchie, P, Neves, A L, Smyrnakis, E, Vedsted, P, Aubin-Auger, I, Azuri, J, Buczkowski, K, Buono, N, Foreva, G, Babić, S G, Jacob, E, Koskela, T, Petek, D, Šter, M P, Puia, A, Sawicka-Powierza, J, Streit, S, Thulesius, H, Weltermann, B & Taylor, G 2020, ' Primary care practitioners' diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer : an exploratory vignette study in 20 European countries ', BMJ Open, vol. 10, no. 10, e035678 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035678, BMJ Open, 10(10):035678. BMJ Publishing Group, Harris, Michael; Brekke, Mette; Dinant, Geert-Jan; Esteva, Magdalena; Hoffman, Robert; Marzo-Castillejo, Mercè; Murchie, Peter; Neves, Ana Luísa; Smyrnakis, Emmanouil; Vedsted, Peter; Aubin-Auger, Isabelle; Azuri, Joseph; Buczkowski, Krzysztof; Buono, Nicola; Foreva, Gergana; Babić, Svjetlana Gašparović; Jacob, Eva; Koskela, Tuomas; Petek, Davorina; Šter, Marija Petek; ... (2020). Primary care practitioners' diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer: an exploratory vignette study in 20 European countries. BMJ open, 10(10), e035678. BMJ Publishing Group 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035678
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Objectives Cancer survival rates vary widely between European countries, with differences in timeliness of diagnosis thought to be one key reason. There is little evidence on the way in which different healthcare systems influence primary care practitioners' (PCPs) referral decisions in patients who could have cancer. This study aimed to explore PCPs' diagnostic actions (whether or not they perform a key diagnostic test and/or refer to a specialist) in patients with symptoms that could be due to cancer and how they vary across European countries. Design A primary care survey. PCPs were given vignettes describing patients with symptoms that could indicate cancer and asked how they would manage these patients. The likelihood of taking immediate diagnostic action (a diagnostic test and/or referral) in the different participating countries was analysed. Comparisons between the likelihood of taking immediate diagnostic action and physician characteristics were calculated. Setting Centres in 20 European countries with widely varying cancer survival rates. ParticipantsA total of 2086 PCPs answered the survey question, with a median of 72 PCPs per country. Results PCPs' likelihood of immediate diagnostic action at the first consultation varied from 50% to 82% between countries. PCPs who were more experienced were more likely to take immediate diagnostic action than their peers. Conclusion When given vignettes of patients with a low but significant possibility of cancer, more than half of PCPs across Europe would take diagnostic action, most often by ordering diagnostic tests. However, there are substantial between-country variations.<br />ALN's time is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Patient Safety Translation Research Centre, with her infrastructure support provided by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
AUSTRALIA
BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE. Clinical Medical Sciences
Referral
3122 Cancers
education
610 Medicine & health
CLINICAL VIGNETTES
Primary care
Survey question
survival
Physicians, Primary Care
adult oncology
international health services
primary care
360 Social problems & social services
Neoplasms
medicine
Humans
In patient
Referral and Consultation
REFERRAL RATES
Primary Health Care
business.industry
sweden
BIOMEDICINA I ZDRAVSTVO. Kliničke medicinske znanosti
Cancer
health
General Medicine
benchmarking partnership
denmark
3126 Surgery, anesthesiology, intensive care, radiology
medicine.disease
Europe
Survival Rate
Action (philosophy)
Vignette
quality
Family medicine
NORWAY
business
General practice / Family practice
Healthcare system
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20446055
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMJ Open, Volume 10, Issue 10, Harris, M, Brekke, M, Dinant, G J, Esteva, M, Hoffman, R, Marzo-Castillejo, M, Murchie, P, Neves, A L, Smyrnakis, E, Vedsted, P, Aubin-Auger, I, Azuri, J, Buczkowski, K, Buono, N, Foreva, G, Babić, S G, Jacob, E, Koskela, T, Petek, D, Šter, M P, Puia, A, Sawicka-Powierza, J, Streit, S, Thulesius, H, Weltermann, B & Taylor, G 2020, ' Primary care practitioners' diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer : an exploratory vignette study in 20 European countries ', BMJ Open, vol. 10, no. 10, e035678 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035678, BMJ Open, 10(10):035678. BMJ Publishing Group, Harris, Michael; Brekke, Mette; Dinant, Geert-Jan; Esteva, Magdalena; Hoffman, Robert; Marzo-Castillejo, Mercè; Murchie, Peter; Neves, Ana Luísa; Smyrnakis, Emmanouil; Vedsted, Peter; Aubin-Auger, Isabelle; Azuri, Joseph; Buczkowski, Krzysztof; Buono, Nicola; Foreva, Gergana; Babić, Svjetlana Gašparović; Jacob, Eva; Koskela, Tuomas; Petek, Davorina; Šter, Marija Petek; ... (2020). Primary care practitioners' diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer: an exploratory vignette study in 20 European countries. BMJ open, 10(10), e035678. BMJ Publishing Group 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035678 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035678>
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....68f4681916da23e80039022aa9c28673