Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26740607›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2016

International variation in adherence to referral guidelines for suspected cancer: a secondary analysis of survey data.

Brian D Nicholson, David Mant, Richard D Neal, Nigel Hart, Willie Hamilton, Bethany Shinkins, Greg Rubin, Peter W Rose

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. A Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Decision Support Systems for Healthcare Referral Strategies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Direct access cancer testing in primary care: a systematic review of use and clinical outcomes.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018
    Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Hidden systems in primary care cancer detection: an embedded qualitative intervention development study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Building the case for the use of gut feelings in cancer referrals: perspectives of patients referred to a non-specific symptoms pathway.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Urgent cancer referrals: how well are they working and can they be improved?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2021
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Availability and use of cancer decision-support tools: a cross-sectional survey of UK primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2019
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. How long is too long? A scoping review of health system delays in lung cancer.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2018
    Article
  19. Responsibility for follow-up during the diagnostic process in primary care: a secondary analysis of International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership data.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018
    Article
  20. Reimagining the diagnostic pathway for gastrointestinal cancer.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2018
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Brian D NicholsonUniversity of Oxford, Oxford.
David MantUniversity of Oxford, Oxford.
Richard D NealBangor University, Bangor.
Nigel HartUniversity of Belfast, Belfast.
Willie HamiltonUniversity of Exeter, Exeter.
Bethany ShinkinsUniversity of Oxford, Oxford.
Greg RubinDurham University, Durham.
Peter W RoseUniversity of Oxford, Oxford.

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVariation in cancer survival persists between comparable nations and appears to be due, in part, to primary care practitioners (PCPs) having different thresholds for acting definitively in response to cancer-related symptoms.

aimTo explore whether cancer guidelines, and adherence to them, differ between jurisdictions and impacts on PCPs' propensity to take definitive action on cancer-related symptoms. DESIGN AND

settingA secondary analysis of survey data from six countries (10 jurisdictions) participating in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership.

methodPCPs' responses to five clinical vignettes presenting symptoms and signs of lung (n = 2), colorectal (n = 2), and ovarian cancer (n = 1) were compared with investigation and referral recommendations in cancer guidelines.

resultsNine jurisdictions had guidelines covering the two colorectal vignettes. For the lung vignettes, although eight jurisdictions had guidelines for the first, the second was covered by a Swedish guideline alone. Only the UK and Denmark had an ovarian cancer guideline. Survey responses of 2795 PCPs (crude response rate: 12%) were analysed. Guideline adherence ranged from 20-82%. UK adherence was lower than other jurisdictions for the lung vignette covered by the guidance (47% versus 58%; P <0.01) but similar (45% versus 46%) or higher (67% versus 38%; P <0.01) for the two colorectal vignettes. PCPs took definitive action least often when a guideline recommended a non-definitive action or made no recommendation. UK PCPs adhered to recommendations for definitive action less than their counterparts (P <0.01). There wasno association between jurisdictional guideline adherence and 1-year survival.

conclusionCancer guideline content is variable between similarly developed nations and poor guideline adherence does not explain differential survival. Guidelines that fail to cover high-risk presentations or that recommend non-definitive action may reduce definitive diagnostic action.

Indexed as

Disease ManagementGuideline AdherencePractice Patterns, Physicians'Early Detection of CancerFemaleGlobal HealthHealth SurveysHumansIncidenceMaleNeoplasmsPrimary Health CareRetrospective StudiesSurvival Ratediagnosisearly detection of cancerneoplasmspractice guidelineprimary health caresurvival

Identifiers

PMID26740607
PMCPMC4723209

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.