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Cancer risk assessment tools underused in general practice

Cancer risk assessment tools are underused by gaeneral practitioners (GPs), but this does not delay according to the results of a survey carried out by the University of Exeter.

The cross-sectional postal survey, published in the British Journal of General Practice, examined the availability and use of cancer decision-support tools (QCancer® and risk assessment tools) in general practice, and to explore the association between tool availability and 2-week-wait (2WW) referrals for suspected cancer.

In total, 476 GPs in 227 practices participated. At the practice level, 83/227 (36.6%; 95% CI, 30.3-43.1) practices had at least one GP or registrar with access to cancer decision-support tools. Tools were available and likely to be used in 38/227 (16.7%; 95% CI, 12.1-22.2) practices.

In subgroup analyses of 172 English practices, there was no difference in mean 2WW referral rate between practices with tools and those without (mean adjusted difference in referrals per 100,000: 3.1; 95% CI, −5.5 to 11.7).

This is the first survey of cancer decision-support tool availability and use in general practice. The authors say the findings suggest the tools are an underused resource in the UK.

“Given the cost of cancer investigation, a randomised controlled trial of such clinical decision-support aids would be appropriate,” they say.


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