Virtual Library
Start Your Search
T. Shaw
Author of
-
+
P3.13 - Radiology/Staging/Screening (ID 729)
- Event: WCLC 2017
- Type: Poster Session with Presenters Present
- Track: Radiology/Staging/Screening
- Presentations: 1
- Moderators:
- Coordinates: 10/18/2017, 09:30 - 16:00, Exhibit Hall (Hall B + C)
-
+
P3.13-038 - The RoaDmaP Study: Feasibility of Implementing a Primary Care Intervention for Referral of Potential Lung Cancer Cases to Specialist Care (ID 9875)
09:30 - 09:30 | Author(s): T. Shaw
- Abstract
Background:
Pathways to lung cancer diagnosis are complex. General Practitioners (GPs) play a vital role in ensuring that people diagnosed with lung cancer receive timely access to appropriate specialist care. Australian guidelines recommend that the first specialist appointment should take place within two weeks of the initial GP referral. However, local data indicate that up to 60% of patients are not referred within two weeks, while state-based data shows that 11% of patients in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, do not see a lung cancer specialist at all; these patients may be missing out on curative and palliative treatments. We designed a primary care intervention to address these gaps and conducted a feasibility study in three sites across NSW. The RoaDmaP pilot study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the Referral Decision Prompt (RDP), an intervention that supports GPs to refer patients with a suspicious lung lesion on CT scan for specialist care. Specific objectives were to evaluate feasibility and acceptability with GPs, radiologists and radiology practice staff.
Method:
The RDP intervention was developed with key stakeholder input and was tailored for three participating radiology practices. Eligibility criteria included any patient aged over 18 attending for a chest CT scan. Recruitment and consent procedures were tested to enable collection of patient’s medical data from GPs and hospitals to confirm lung cancer diagnoses. The RDP template was integrated into CT scan reports for patients with a suspicious lung lesion. A process evaluation with GPs, radiologists and radiology staff was undertaken through brief surveys and qualitative focus groups.
Result:
Over seven months, 445 patients had a GP-referred chest CT scan; 400 were given study documents; 293 consented (73%). Twelve patients had a suspicious lesion, eight of whom received a confirmed lung cancer diagnosis. Sixty-six percent had a specialist appointment within two weeks. The intervention was rated as highly acceptable by radiologists, radiographers and practice staff; four GPs participated in the evaluation, three recalled the RDP and two used it to change their referral practices.
Conclusion:
The RoaDmaP study presents an innovative approach to identifying lung cancer patients prior to diagnosis and has the potential to improve timely and appropriate specialist referral. The process evaluation findings indicate that this simple, low-cost intervention is feasible and can be easily integrated into radiology reporting practices. It is highly acceptable to radiologists and practice staff, and may positively influence GP referral practices.
