2026-08-05T15:04:40Zhttps://repisalud.isciii.es/rest/oai/request

oai:repisalud.isciii.es:20.500.12105/226712024-11-28T23:04:46Zcom_20.500.12105_15322com_20.500.12105_2051col_20.500.12105_16967

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Harris, Michael author Thulesius, Hans author Neves, Ana Luisa author Harker, Sophie author Koskela, Tuomas author Petek, Davorina author Hoffman, Robert author Brekke, Mette author Buczkowski, Krzysztof author Buono, Nicola author Costiug, Emiliana author Dinant, Geert-Jan author Foreva, Gergana author Jakob, Eva author Marzo-Castillejo, Merce author Murchie, Peter author Sawicka-Powierza, Jolanta author Schneider, Antonius author Smyrnakis, Emmanouil author Streit, Sven author Taylor, Gordon author Vedsted, Peter author Weltermann, Birgitta author Esteva, Magdalena author 2019-09 Background: National European cancer survival rates vary widely. Prolonged diagnostic intervals are thought to be a key factor in explaining these variations. Primary care practitioners (PCPs) frequently play a crucial role during initial cancer diagnosis; their knowledge could be used to improve the planning of more effective approaches to earlier cancer diagnosis. Objectives: This study sought the views of PCPs from across Europe on how they thought the timeliness of cancer diagnosis could be improved. Design In an online survey, a final open-ended question asked PCPs how they thought the speed of diagnosis of cancer in primary care could be improved. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Setting A primary care study, with participating centres in 20 European countries. Participants: A total of 1352 PCPs answered the final survey question, with a median of 48 per country. Results: The main themes identified were: patient-related factors, including health education; care provider-related factors, including continuing medical education; improving communication and interprofessional partnership, particularly between primary and secondary care; factors relating to health system organisation and policies, including improving access to healthcare; easier primary care access to diagnostic tests; and use of information technology. Re-allocation of funding to support timely diagnosis was seen as an issue affecting all of these. Conclusions: To achieve more timely cancer diagnosis, health systems need to facilitate earlier patient presentation through education and better access to care, have well-educated clinicians with good access to investigations and better information technology, and adequate primary care cancer diagnostic pathway funding. Harris M, Thulesius H, Neves AL, Harker S, Koskela T, Petek D, et al. How European primary care practitioners think the timeliness of cancer diagnosis can be improved: a thematic analysis. BMJ Open. 2019 Sep;9(9):e030169. 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030169 2044-6055 BMJ Open http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/17144 31551382 L629441513 2-s2.0-85072596947 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/22671 497787600252 Delivery of Health Care Primary Health Care General Practitioners Cancer Diagnosis Consultation and Referral How European primary care practitioners think the timeliness of cancer diagnosis can be improved: a thematic analysis