Patients' experiences of referral for colorectal cancer.

Background: Outcomes for colorectal cancer patients vary significantly. Compared to other countries, Australia has a good record with patient outcomes, yet there is little information available on the referral pathway. This paper explores the views of Australian patients and their experiences of referral for colorectal cancer treatment following diagnosis; the aim was to improve our understanding of the referral pathway and guide the development of future interventions.

Referral pathways in colorectal cancer: an audit of surgeons's records.

Purpose: To explore the referral pathways of patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer to surgeons.

Method: Australian surgeons from three states completed a questionnaire and their records were audited.

Results: Thirty-three surgeons provided data on 530 patients seen in the preceding 12 months.

Identifying patients with a cancer diagnosis using general practice medical records and Cancer Registry data.

Background: The medical records of patients with cancer need to accurately record diagnoses for professionals to provide quality care. Aims. (i) To develop a methodology which identifies medical records of patients with a cancer diagnosis.

Initiation, choice and satisfaction of nursing appointments in general practice: a cross-sectional survey of patients and nurses.

Aims And Objectives: To compare patients' and nurses' perceptions regarding the initiation of appointments, and to assess patients' satisfaction with appointment provision.

Background: Appointment provision is changing in primary care and no research has assessed the initiation of nursing appointments.

Design: Cross-sectional survey assessing patients' and nurses' perceptions of the same appointment.

Psychosocial care for cancer patients in primary care? Recognition of opportunities for cancer care.

The paper outlines psychosocial problems experienced by cancer patients and the current barriers to service delivery. New models of psychosocial service provision are put forward, emphasizing information, communication and technology aids in an attempt to improve co-ordination of care. The management of cancer patients has evolved greatly over the past decades, and patients are well placed to benefit from the experiences of primary care professionals in the delivery of chronic illness disease management strategies.

Open-access versus bookable appointment systems: survey of patients attending appointments with general practitioners.

Access to consultations with general practitioners (GPs) is an important health policy issue. One method of providing 24-hour access is through the provision of open-access surgeries. The study aimed to compare patients' perceptions of 'bookable' and 'non-bookable' (open-access) appointments.

Cancer patients consultation patterns in primary care and levels of psychological morbidity: findings from the Health Survey for England.

Aim: To determine the consultations patterns in general practice, for people with cancer and other chronic illnesses, and to assess the levels of psychological morbidity.

Methods: The following questions from the 1999 Health Survey for England were analysed: presence of a self-reported long-standing illness and its nature, numbers of contacts with general practitioner (GP) in the previous 2 weeks, contact with a GP in the previous year for anxiety/depression or a mental, nervous or emotional problem, presence of a self-reported long-standing illness of mental illness, anxiety or depression, and GHQ12 scores. For comparison purposes, data from respondents reporting having asthma, arthritis, diabetes, other long-standing illness, and no long-standing illness are presented.