Family Practice, Vol 15, 415-419, Copyright © 1998 by World Organization of Family Doctors
WJ van der Kam, PJ Branger, JH van Bemmel and B Meyboom-de Jong
BACKGROUND: The communication between GP and specialists is vital for the
patient suffering from breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was
to investigate (i) the speed and type of communication between GPs,
specialists and patients with breast cancer, and (ii) the problems that GPs
encounter in the communication with specialists concerning these patients.
METHOD: In April 1995, 246 Dutch GPs from the Zwolle region (600 000
inhabitants) were invited to complete a questionnaire, using the
information from the medical record and focusing on the last patient
consulted with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer. RESULTS: Valid
replies were received from 150 (61 %) GPs. The median period between
initial referral date and receipt of the definite diagnosis from the
surgeon was 4 weeks. After the patient's first appointment with the
surgeon, the GPs received reports for 24% of the patients within 3 days;
for 31% within 3-7 days; and for 16% of the patients after more than 2
weeks. After the first consultation between patient and surgeon, 68 (45%)
of the 150 GPs reported that the patient contacted them; at this stage only
30 (20%) of these GPs had received a report from the surgeon. Thirty-one
(21%) GPs did not contact the patient after receival of the definite
diagnosis. GPs stated that the communication on patients with breast cancer
is too slow (49%), or not frequent enough (25%); 25% of GPs found that the
distribution of tasks between them and the specialists are not well
described. CONCLUSION: In the diagnostic stage of breast cancer the
communication between GPs, specialists and patients varies widely, is too
slow and is incomplete. An effect of this unsatisfactory communication is
that the patient herself is the messenger of the bad news.
ORIGINAL CLINICAL RESEARCH
Communication between physicians and with patients suffering from breast cancer
Hospital De Weezenlanden, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
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