Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33791487›Full record

ArticleFuture healthcare journal2021

Assessment of serum calcium in -patients referred for suspected lung cancer: A quality -improvement project to enhance patient safety in clinical practice.

Christina Apthorp, Sagana Kirisnathas, Nikolaos Stavrakas, Isuru Warakagoda, Stephen Crooks, Jayanta Mukherjee

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Future healthcare journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Christina ApthorpNorth Manchester General Hospital, Manchester, UK.
Sagana KirisnathasCroydon University Hospital, Croydon, UK.
Nikolaos StavrakasNorfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK.
Isuru WarakagodaLeighton Hospital, Crewe, UK.
Stephen CrooksWarwick Hospital, Warwick, UK.
Jayanta MukherjeeWarwick Hospital, Warwick, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHypercalcaemia is a serious complication of lung cancer. A quality improvement project (QIP) was designed based on guidance from the American College of Chest Physician and the European Respiratory Society who recommend measuring serum calcium for patients referred with suspected lung cancer.

methodSeventy-two patients were included in the initial data to ascertain the delay between referral to the lung cancer pathway and obtaining serum calcium levels as part of the initial work-up. New data were then collected after each intervention (including presentations at weekly respiratory multidisciplinary team meetings, posters within clinical areas and a hospital trust screensaver) to evaluate the delay.

resultsInitially, 11.1% (n=8) did not have serum calcium measured at any point; two of which had lung cancer (including one metastatic malignancy). Of those who had serum calcium measured, there was a median delay of 13 days between first suspicion and obtaining serum calcium. After all the interventions were put in place, patients had a median of 7 days' delay (p=0.001).

conclusionThis QIP design was based on continued feedback to improve the care of patients suspected of lung cancer. Although there was a significant reduction in delays post-intervention, increasing awareness in the community is suggested to maintain these improvements.

Indexed as

cancerlungoncologyquality improvement projectrespiratory

Identifiers

PMID33791487
PMCPMC8004297

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.