Characteristics of Optimal Cancer Referrals Made by Primary Care Clinicians: Scoping Review.

ABSTRACT: BackgroundIn England, over 2 million patients are referred each year on urgent pathways to investigate suspected cancer. The content and quality of referrals have often been audited, but there is no consensus on what should be included in a referral to optimise diagnostic outcomes.AimTo identify and describe the characteristics of referral letters for suspected cancer from primary to secondary care that may optimise diagnostic outcomes.MethodThe scoping review employed the methodology developed by Arksey and O'Malley in 2005 and further expanded by Levac and Colquhoun 2010. We searched PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO to identify relevant studies in English Language published between 2000 and 2023. All findings were reported according to PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews.ResultsOf 3463 ide

SUBMITTER: Olakotan O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12304610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature