Correspondence between primary and secondary care about patients with cancer: A qualitative mixed-methods analysis.

ABSTRACT: Cancer care is complex and involves many different healthcare providers, especially during diagnosis and initial treatment, and it has been reported that both general practitioners and oncology specialists experience difficulties with interdisciplinary communication. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore information sharing between primary and secondary care for patients with lung, breast or colorectal cancer. A qualitative content analysis of 50 medical files (419 documents) was performed, which identified 70 correspondence-related items. Six main topics were identified in most referral letters from primary to secondary care, but it was particularly notable that highly relevant information regarding the past medical history was often mixed with less relevant information. To les

SUBMITTER: Stegmann ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6588262 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature