Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico
Understanding patient pathways from discovery of breast symptoms to treatment start can aid in identifying ways to improve access to timely cancer care. This study aimed to describe the patient pathways experienced by uninsured women from detection to treatment initiation for breast cancer in Mexico...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
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Elsevier Ltd
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| Online Access: | http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/ http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/1/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact.pdf http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/2/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact%20on%20survival%20in%20Mexico_ABS.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848826324160872448 |
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| author | Fatin Izzati, Ramli Thokala, Praveen Tong, Thaison Unger-Saldana, Karla |
| author_facet | Fatin Izzati, Ramli Thokala, Praveen Tong, Thaison Unger-Saldana, Karla |
| author_sort | Fatin Izzati, Ramli |
| building | UMP Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Understanding patient pathways from discovery of breast symptoms to treatment start can aid in identifying ways to improve access to timely cancer care. This study aimed to describe the patient pathways experienced by uninsured women from detection to treatment initiation for breast cancer in Mexico City and estimate the potential impact of earlier treatment on patient survival.Methods: We used process mining, a data analytics technique, to create maps of the patient pathways. We then compared the waiting times and pathways between patients who initially consulted a private service versus those who sought care at a public health service. Finally, we conducted scenario modelling to estimate the impact of early diagnosis and treatment on patient survival. Results: Our study revealed a common pathway followed by breast cancer patients treated at the two largest public cancer centres in Mexico City. However, patients who initially sought care in private clinics experienced shorter mean wait times for their first medical consultation (66 vs 88 days), and diagnostic confirmation of cancer (57 vs 71 days) compared to those who initially utilized public clinics. Our scenario modelling indicated that improving early diagnosis to achieve at least 60% of patients starting treatment at early stages could increase Mean patient survival by up to two years. Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential of process mining to inform healthcare policy for improvement of breast cancer care in Mexico. Also, our findings indicate that reducing diagnostic and treatment intervals for breast cancer patients could result in substantially better patient outcomes. Policy summary: This study revealed significant differences in time intervals along the pathways of women with breast cancer according to the type of health service first consulted by the patients: whether public primary care clinics or private doctors. Policies directed to reduce these inequities in access to timely cancer care are desperately needed to reduce socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer survival. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T03:43:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | ump-41397 |
| institution | Universiti Malaysia Pahang |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T03:43:00Z |
| publisher | Elsevier Ltd |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | ump-413972024-07-01T01:25:25Z http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/ Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico Fatin Izzati, Ramli Thokala, Praveen Tong, Thaison Unger-Saldana, Karla HD28 Management. Industrial Management T Technology (General) Understanding patient pathways from discovery of breast symptoms to treatment start can aid in identifying ways to improve access to timely cancer care. This study aimed to describe the patient pathways experienced by uninsured women from detection to treatment initiation for breast cancer in Mexico City and estimate the potential impact of earlier treatment on patient survival.Methods: We used process mining, a data analytics technique, to create maps of the patient pathways. We then compared the waiting times and pathways between patients who initially consulted a private service versus those who sought care at a public health service. Finally, we conducted scenario modelling to estimate the impact of early diagnosis and treatment on patient survival. Results: Our study revealed a common pathway followed by breast cancer patients treated at the two largest public cancer centres in Mexico City. However, patients who initially sought care in private clinics experienced shorter mean wait times for their first medical consultation (66 vs 88 days), and diagnostic confirmation of cancer (57 vs 71 days) compared to those who initially utilized public clinics. Our scenario modelling indicated that improving early diagnosis to achieve at least 60% of patients starting treatment at early stages could increase Mean patient survival by up to two years. Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential of process mining to inform healthcare policy for improvement of breast cancer care in Mexico. Also, our findings indicate that reducing diagnostic and treatment intervals for breast cancer patients could result in substantially better patient outcomes. Policy summary: This study revealed significant differences in time intervals along the pathways of women with breast cancer according to the type of health service first consulted by the patients: whether public primary care clinics or private doctors. Policies directed to reduce these inequities in access to timely cancer care are desperately needed to reduce socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer survival. Elsevier Ltd Article PeerReviewed pdf en http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/1/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact.pdf pdf en http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/2/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact%20on%20survival%20in%20Mexico_ABS.pdf Fatin Izzati, Ramli and Thokala, Praveen and Tong, Thaison and Unger-Saldana, Karla Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico. Journal of Cancer Policy. ISSN 2213-5383. (Published) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2024.100482 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2024.100482 |
| spellingShingle | HD28 Management. Industrial Management T Technology (General) Fatin Izzati, Ramli Thokala, Praveen Tong, Thaison Unger-Saldana, Karla Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title | Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title_full | Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title_short | Understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in Mexico |
| title_sort | understanding breast cancer patient pathways and their impact on survival in mexico |
| topic | HD28 Management. Industrial Management T Technology (General) |
| url | http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/ http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/ http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/ http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/1/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact.pdf http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/41397/2/Understanding%20breast%20cancer%20patient%20pathways%20and%20their%20impact%20on%20survival%20in%20Mexico_ABS.pdf |