From: Factors influencing general practitioners in the referral of elderly cancer patients
Elements influencing GPs | Cancer (non specified) | Prostate cancer | Sigmoid colon cancer | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | (%) | N | (%) | N | (%) | |
Wish or reluctance of patient (P*) | 364 | (83.5)† | 158 | (36.2)† | 66 | (15.2) |
Presence of and/or wish of family (P) | 348 | (79.8) † | 21 | (4.8) | 107 | (24.6) |
Presence or absence of serious comorbidity (P) | 347 | (79.5) | 79 | (18.1) | 115 | (26.4) |
Invasive investigations unsuitable (P) | 334 | (76.6) | 52 | (11.9) | 33 | (7.6) |
Degree of mental and physical autonomy (P) | 328 | (75.2) | 126 | (28.9) | 93 | (21.4) |
Patient's psychological state (P) | 307 | (70.0) | 108 | (24.8) | 63 | (14.5) |
Short patient life expectancy (P) | 300 | (68.4) | 32 | (7.3) | 24 | (5.5) |
Awareness of diagnosis by patient (P) | 254 | (58.1) | 36 | (8.3) | 36 | (8.3) |
Real age of patient (P) | 243 | (56.3) | 113 | (25.9) | 81 | (18.6) |
Patient's financial resources (P) | 82 | (18.4) | 1 | (0.2) | 0 | (0.0) |
Side effects and tolerance towards treatment (expected) (T‡) | 348 | (79.8) † | 24 | (5.5) | 14 | (3.2) |
Seriousness of cancer symptoms (T) | 345 | (79.1) | 131 | (30.0) † | 143 | (32.8) † |
Stage of the disease (T) | 314 | (71.9) | 90 | (20.6) | 192 | (44.1) † |
Anatomical localisation of the cancer (T) | 294 | (67.4) | 172 | (39.4) † | 151 | (34.7) † |
Presence of good clinical practice guidelines(T) | 293 | (67.2) | 34 | (7.8) | 23 | (5.3) |
In the habit of collaborating with specialised cancer teams (O§) | 337 | (77.2) | 46 | (10.6) | 58 | (13.3) |
Time lapse before care is instated (O) | 314 | (71.9) | 27 | (6.2) | 25 | (5.7) |
Organisational difficulties in providing care (O) | 222 | (50.2) | 34 | (7.8) | 31 | (7.1) |
Other | 55 | (12.8) | 32 | (7.3) | 19 | (4.4) |