Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40921644›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Emergency physicians' experiences managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in Ontario, Canada: a qualitative study.

Carley Moore, Bojana Petrovic, Jacqueline L Bender, Cameron Thompson, Shelley L McLeod, David Savage, Bjug Borgundvaag, Howard Ovens, Jonathan Irish, Antoine Eskander and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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. Article
  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

16 authors.

Carley MooreUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bojana PetrovicSinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jacqueline L BenderUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cameron ThompsonSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Shelley L McLeodSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
David SavageDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Bjug BorgundvaagSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Howard OvensSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jonathan IrishUniversity Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Antoine EskanderDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sheldon CheskesDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Monika KrzyzanowskaSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kerstin de WitDepartment of Emergency Medicine and Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Rohit MohindraSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Venkatesh ThiruganasambandamoorthyDepartment of Emergency Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Keerat GrewalSchwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada keerat.grewal@sinaihealth.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2252-1371

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe emergency department (ED) often serves as a crucial pathway for cancer diagnosis. However, little is known about the management of patients with new suspected cancer diagnoses in the ED. The objective of this study was to explore emergency physicians' experiences in managing patients with a newly suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED.

designBetween January and April 2024, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study. Interviews were conducted by trained research personnel using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. The interview transcripts were coded and thematic analysis was used to uncover key themes. SETTING AND

participantsEmergency physicians practising in Ontario, Canada.

results20 emergency physicians were interviewed. Four themes around the management of patients with new suspected cancer diagnoses in the ED were identified: (1) healthcare system-level factors that impact suspected cancer diagnosis through the ED, (2) institutional and provider-level challenges associated with managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED, (3) patient-level characteristics and experiences of receiving a cancer diagnosis in the ED and (4) the need for care coordination for patients with suspected cancer in the ED.

conclusionsPhysicians experienced several unique challenges in managing patients with a suspected cancer diagnosis in the ED. Overall, the findings of this study suggest these challenges often make the ED a difficult environment in which to deliver a suspected cancer diagnosis.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelEmergency Service, HospitalNeoplasmsPhysiciansAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedOntarioQualitative ResearchACCIDENT & EMERGENCY MEDICINEAdult oncologyPhysicians

Identifiers

PMID40921644
PMCPMC12421181

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.