Table 3. Summary of the measures of healthcare use by diagnostic route including the prediagnostic rates and inflection points within 12 to 1 month before lung cancer diagnosis by diagnostic route compared with emergency-diagnosed patients.
| Healthcare event type | Adjusted IRR (95% CI) a | Month of inflection-point estimate (95% CI) | ||||
| Emergency diagnosed | Routinely referred | Urgently referred | Emergency diagnosed | Routinely referred | Urgently referred | |
| Primary care consultations | 1 (Ref) | 1.34 (1.26 to 1.43)b | 1.11 (1.04 to 1.18)b | 5 (4.99 to 5.01) | 7 (6.96 to 7.04)c | 5 (4.99 to 5.01)d |
| Consultations with any selected six relevant symptomse | 1 (Ref) | 1.71 (1.51 to 1.94)b | 1.59 (1.40 to 1.79)b | 5 (4.95 to 5.05) | 9 (8.93 to 9.07)c | 6 (5.97 to 6.03)d |
| Consultations with any selected three respiratory symptomsf | 1 (Ref) | 1.72 (1.51 to 1.96)b | 1.62 (1.42 to 1.84)b | 5 (4.95 to 5.05) | 10 (9.93 to 10.07)c | 6 (5.97 to 6.03)c |
| Consultations with cough | 1 (Ref) | 1.90 (1.58 to 2.30)b | 1.94 (1.61 to 2.33)b | 7 (6.94 to 7.06) | 10 (9.93 to 10.07)c | 7 (6.96 to 7.04)d |
| Consultations with dyspnoea | 1 (Ref) | 1.33 (1.11 to 1.61)g | 1.07 (0.88 to 1.30)g | 3 (2.96 to 3.04) | 9 (8.88 to 9.12)c | 5 (4.96 to 5.04)c |
| Consultations with haemoptysis | 1 (Ref) | 3.25 (1.33 to 7.96)g | 2.92 (1.19 to 7.18)g | 5 (4.88 to 5.12) | 10 (9.93 to 10.07)c | 7 (6.94 to 7.06)c |
| Any chest imaging events | 1 (Ref) | 2.45 (1.97 to 3.05)b | 1.95 (1.56 to 2.25)b | 4 (3.98 to 4.02) | 7 (6.97 to 7.03)c | 6 (5.98 to 6.02)d |
| Chest X-rays | 1 (Ref) | 1.91 (1.53 to 2.38)b | 1.77 (1.42 to 2.21)b | 4 (3.97 to 4.03) | 7 (6.96 to 7.04)c | 6 (5.96 to 6.04)d |
| Chest CT | 1 (Ref) | 3.39 (2.47 to 4.66)b | 2.07 (1.48 to 2.90)b | 4 (3.99 to 4.01) | 6 (5.96 to 6.04)d | 6 (5.97 to 6.03)d |
aThe adjusted IRR values show the Poisson modelling results using data from 12 to 1 month before diagnosis adjusted for patient factors (age at diagnosis, gender, ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation, smoking status, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease status, and Elixhauser comorbidity score at time of diagnosis). bSignificant positive association (P<0.05). cInflection points occurring ≥2 months before those for emergency presentations. dA difference in the inflection points <2 months, considered equal compared with emergency presentations. eSymptoms include appetite loss, weight loss, fatigue, cough, dyspnoea, and haemoptysis. fSymptoms include cough, dyspnoea, and haemoptysis. gResults with weak evidence (P>0.05). IRR = incidence rate ratio. Ref = reference.