Table 5. Interaction with primary care by cancer type before emergency cancer presentation to a GP or hospial emergency department and median (IQR) days from first presentation to EP.
|
Cancer type,
N
(%) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | Colorectal | Lung | Melanoma | Prostate | Upper GI | Total | ||
|
Interaction with primary care before emergency presentation (EP) | ||||||||
| All EPs | N (% of all EPs) | 16 (4) | 121 (34) | 145 (40) | 2 (1) | 21 (6) | 55 (15) | 360 (100) |
|
No primary care interaction before EP | ||||||||
| EP to primary care | N (% within cancer) | 11 (69) | 31 (26) | 33 (23) | 2 (100) | 7 (33) | 10 (18) | 94 (26) |
| EP to a hospial emergency department | N (% with cancer) | 1 (6) | 2 (2) | 3 (2) | 0 (0) | 1 (5) | 0 (0) | 7 (2) |
|
Primary care interaction before EP | ||||||||
| EP occurred within an appropriate episode of care | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 2 (13) 5.50 (5.0, 5.5) | 41 (34) 8.0 (2.0, 19.0) | 46 (32) 13.50 (8.0, 26.25) | 0 (0) — | 9 (43) 6 (4.5, 25.0) | 17 (31) 20.0 (8.5,51.50) | 115 (32) — |
| EP occurred while awaiting a relevant secondary care appointment | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 2 (13) 2.50 (1.0, 2.5) | 28 (23) 13.5 (2.0, 46.25) | 30 (21) 27.0 (9.75, 47.75) | 0 (0) — | 1 (5) 17.0 (17.0, 17.0) | 17 (31) 11.0 (1.0, 60.5) | 78 (22) — |
| EP occurred following a missed opportunity for earlier investigation (includes one EP to A&E) | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 0 (0) — | 13 (11) 48.0 (24.5, 132.0) | 27 (19) 80.0 (43.0,140.0) | 0 (0) — | 0 (0) — | 10 (18) 84.5 (31.25,122.25) | 50 (14) — |
| EP followed non-attendance of follow-up appointment/long periods between relevant consultations | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 0 (0) — | 4 (3) 65.50 (65.50–80.25) | 2 (1) 111.50 (74.0,11.50) | 0 (0) — | 1 (5) 93 (93.0,93.0) | 0 (0) — | 7 (2) — |
| EP followed patient reluctance/refusal for secondary care investigation | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 0 (0) — | 2 (2) 121 (45.0,121) | 2 (1) 60 (35,60) | 0 (0) — | 2 (10) 123 (88.0,123.0) | 1 (2) 41 (41.0,41.0) | 7 (2) |
| EP to a hospital emergency department following previous relevant primary care contact | N (% with cancer) Median (IQR) days | 0 (0) — | 0 (0) — | 2 (1) 110.5 (38.0, 110.50) | 0 (0) — | 0 (0) — | 0 (0) — | 2 (<1) — |
Abbreviations: GP=general practitioner; EP=emergency presentation; IQR=interquartile range.