How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study
OBJECTIVES: Determine how general practitioners (GPs) manage patients with cancer symptoms. DESIGN: GPs reviewed 24 video-vignettes and case notes on patients with cancer symptoms and indicated whether they would refer the patient and/or prescribe medication, and/or undertake further investigation....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25751 |
| _version_ | 1848751795024691200 |
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| author | Jiwa, Moyez Meng, X. O'Shea, C. Magin, P. Dadich, A. Pillai, V. |
| author_facet | Jiwa, Moyez Meng, X. O'Shea, C. Magin, P. Dadich, A. Pillai, V. |
| author_sort | Jiwa, Moyez |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | OBJECTIVES: Determine how general practitioners (GPs) manage patients with cancer symptoms. DESIGN: GPs reviewed 24 video-vignettes and case notes on patients with cancer symptoms and indicated whether they would refer the patient and/or prescribe medication, and/or undertake further investigation. According to available guidelines, all cases warranted a referral to a specialist or further investigations. SETTING: Australian primary care sector. PARTICIPANTS: 102 practising GPs participated in this study, including trainees. INTERVENTIONS: The research was part of a larger randomised controlled trial testing a referral pro forma; however, this paper reports on management decisions made throughout the study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: This paper reports on how the participants would manage the patients depicted in each vignette. RESULTS: In more than one-in-eight cases, the patient was not investigated or referred. Patient management varied significantly by cancer type (p<0.001). For two key reasons, colorectal cancer was the chosen referent category. First, it represents a prevalent type of cancer. Second, in this study, colorectal cancer symptoms were managed in a similar proportion of options-that is, prescription, referral or investigation. Compared with vignettes featuring colorectal cancer participants were less likely to manage breast, bladder, endometrial, and lung cancers with a 'prescription only' or 'referral only' option. They were less likely to manage prostate cancer with a 'prescription only', yet more likely to manage it with a 'referral with investigation'. With regard to pancreatic and cervical cancers, participants were more likely to manage these with a 'referral only' or a 'referral with investigation'. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients may receive a delayed cancer diagnosis, even when they present with typical cancer symptoms to a GP who can access relevant diagnostic tests. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:58:24Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-25751 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:58:24Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-257512017-09-13T15:18:08Z How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study Jiwa, Moyez Meng, X. O'Shea, C. Magin, P. Dadich, A. Pillai, V. OBJECTIVES: Determine how general practitioners (GPs) manage patients with cancer symptoms. DESIGN: GPs reviewed 24 video-vignettes and case notes on patients with cancer symptoms and indicated whether they would refer the patient and/or prescribe medication, and/or undertake further investigation. According to available guidelines, all cases warranted a referral to a specialist or further investigations. SETTING: Australian primary care sector. PARTICIPANTS: 102 practising GPs participated in this study, including trainees. INTERVENTIONS: The research was part of a larger randomised controlled trial testing a referral pro forma; however, this paper reports on management decisions made throughout the study. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: This paper reports on how the participants would manage the patients depicted in each vignette. RESULTS: In more than one-in-eight cases, the patient was not investigated or referred. Patient management varied significantly by cancer type (p<0.001). For two key reasons, colorectal cancer was the chosen referent category. First, it represents a prevalent type of cancer. Second, in this study, colorectal cancer symptoms were managed in a similar proportion of options-that is, prescription, referral or investigation. Compared with vignettes featuring colorectal cancer participants were less likely to manage breast, bladder, endometrial, and lung cancers with a 'prescription only' or 'referral only' option. They were less likely to manage prostate cancer with a 'prescription only', yet more likely to manage it with a 'referral with investigation'. With regard to pancreatic and cervical cancers, participants were more likely to manage these with a 'referral only' or a 'referral with investigation'. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients may receive a delayed cancer diagnosis, even when they present with typical cancer symptoms to a GP who can access relevant diagnostic tests. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25751 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008525 fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Jiwa, Moyez Meng, X. O'Shea, C. Magin, P. Dadich, A. Pillai, V. How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title | How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title_full | How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title_fullStr | How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title_full_unstemmed | How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title_short | How do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? A video-vignette study |
| title_sort | how do general practitioners manage patients with cancer symptoms? a video-vignette study |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25751 |