Publications by authors named "Peter Hjertholm"
Article Synopsis
- Ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis, prompting the need for earlier diagnoses; this study examines the healthcare usage of women with ovarian cancer versus non-cancerous women to find early detection opportunities.
- The research analyzed data from over 4,200 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and compared health service usage with 42,550 non-cancerous women, highlighting higher contact rates with general practitioners before diagnosis.
- Findings suggest a significant increase in healthcare consultations occurred months leading up to the diagnosis, indicating that awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms among women and their doctors could enhance early diagnosis efforts.*
Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine whether variation in transvaginal ultrasound examination rates in Danish general practice populations is associated with ovarian cancer outcomes, and to explore the impact of the introduction of a cancer patient pathway for ovarian cancer.
Material And Methods: We performed a national register-based cohort study of gynecological cancer-free women aged 40 years or above, living in Denmark and listed with a specific general practitioner in 2004-2014. Practice populations were divided into quartiles according to the general practitioners' transvaginal ultrasound propensity in the preceding year.
Background: Different abdominal symptoms may signal cancer, but their role is unclear.
Aim: To examine associations between abdominal symptoms and subsequent cancer diagnosed in the abdominal region.
Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study comprising 493 GPs from surgeries in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Background: Previous studies of associations between home visits by general practitioners and end-of-life care for cancer patients have been subject to confounding.
Aim: To analyse associations between general practitioners' propensity to pay home visits and the likelihood of hospitalisation and dying out of hospital among their cancer patients.
Design: A national register cohort study with an ecological exposure.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored how general practitioners (GPs) assess abdominal symptoms, which can be indicators of cancer, by analyzing data from 493 GPs across six European countries.
- Out of over 61,800 patient consultations, 10.1% presented with abdominal symptoms, with a subsequent cancer diagnosis reported in 511 patients; notably, only 25.2% of those with cancer showed abdominal symptoms.
- The research identified that GPs' intuitive suspicion of cancer significantly correlated with actual cancer diagnoses, and diagnostic actions like lab tests and imaging were more common among cancer patients compared to those without cancer.
Objective: The aim of this validation study was to assess the completeness of the registrations of chest X-rays (CXR) in two different versions of the Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR).
Material And Methods: We included electronic record data on CXR performed on patients aged 40 to 99 years from nine radiology departments covering 20 Danish hospitals. From each department, we included data from three randomly selected weeks between 2004 and 2011 (reference standard).
Background: General practice plays an important role in the cancer care pathway. Patient dissatisfaction with the diagnostic process may be expressed by changing to another general practice.
Aim: To compare the frequency of change of practice (COP) in patients with cancer (n = 150 216) with a matched cancer-free control cohort (n = 1 502 114) and to analyse associations with cancer type and patient characteristics.
Accurate diagnostic activity in general practice before colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is crucial for an early detection of CRC. This study aimed to investigate the rates of daytime consultations, hemoglobin (Hb) measurements and medicine prescriptions for hemorrhoids in general practice in the year preceding CRC diagnosis. Using Danish registries, we conducted a population-based matched cohort study including CRC patients aged 40-80 years (n = 19,209) and matched references (n = 192,090).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKnowledge is sparse about the consequences of variation in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing rates in general practice. This study investigated associations between PSA testing and prostate cancer- related outcomes in Danish general practice, where screening for prostate cancer is not recommended. National registers were used to divide general practices into four groups based on their adjusted PSA test rate 2004-2009.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Knowledge is sparse on the prevalence of suspicion of cancer and other serious diseases in general practice. Likewise, little is known about the possible implications of this suspicion on future healthcare use and diagnoses.
Aim: To study the prevalence of GPs' suspicions of cancer or other serious diseases and analyse how this suspicion predicted the patients' healthcare use and diagnoses of serious disease.