Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33941181›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2021

Continuity of care experienced by patients in a multi-institutional pancreatic care network: a pilot study.

J S Hopstaken, D van Dalen, B M van der Kolk, E J M van Geenen, J J Hermans, E C Gootjes, H J Schers, A M van Dulmen, C J H M van Laarhoven, M W J Stommel

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

J S HopstakenDepartment of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein 10 (route 618), 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
D van DalenDepartment of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein 10 (route 618), 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
B M van der KolkDepartment of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein 10 (route 618), 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
E J M van GeenenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
J J HermansDepartment of Medical Imaging, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
E C GootjesDepartment of Medical Oncology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
H J SchersDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
A M van DulmenDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
C J H M van LaarhovenDepartment of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein 10 (route 618), 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
M W J StommelDepartment of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein 10 (route 618), 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Martijn.Stommel@Radboudumc.nl.
Radboud University Medical Center · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver the past decades, health care services for pancreatic surgery were reorganized. Volume norms were applied with the result that only a limited number of expert centers perform pancreatic surgery. As a result of this centralization of pancreatic surgery, the patient journey of patients with pancreatic tumors has become multi-institutional. To illustrate, patients are referred to a center of expertise for pancreatic surgery whereas other parts of pancreatic care, such as chemotherapy, take place in local hospitals. This fragmentation of health care services could affect continuity of care (COC). The aim of this study was to assess COC perceived by patients in a pancreatic care network and investigate correlations with patient-and care-related characteristics.

methodsThis is a pilot study in which patients with (pre) malignant pancreatic tumors discussed in a multidisciplinary tumor board in a Dutch tertiary hospital were asked to participate. Patients were asked to fill out the Nijmegen Continuity of Care-questionnaire (NCQ) (5-point Likert scale). Additionally, their patient-and care-related data were retrieved from medical records. Correlations of NCQ score and patient-and care-related characteristics were calculated with Spearman's correlation coefficient.

resultsIn total, 44 patients were included (92% response rate). Pancreatic cancer was the predominant diagnosis (32%). Forty percent received a repetition of diagnostic investigations in the tertiary hospital. Mean scores for personal continuity were 3.55 ± 0.74 for GP, 3.29 ± 0.91 for the specialist and 3.43 ± 0.65 for collaboration between GPs and specialists. Overall COC was scored with a mean 3.38 ± 0.72. No significant correlations were observed between NCQ score and certain patient-or care-related characteristics.

conclusionContinuity of care perceived by patients with pancreatic tumors was scored as moderate. This outcome supports the need to improve continuity of care within multi-institutional pancreatic care networks.

Indexed as

Continuity of Patient CareSocial NetworkingHumansPilot ProjectsSurveys and QuestionnairesCentralizationContinuity of careOncology networksPancreatic surgeryPancreatic tumorQuality of care

Identifiers

PMID33941181
PMCPMC8094517
OpenAlexW3159856783

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.