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- Title
French general practitioners' sense of isolation in the management of elderly cancer patients.
- Authors
Chicoulaa, Bruno; Balardy, Laurent; Stillmunkes, Andre; Mourey, Loic; Oustric, Stephane; Bugat, Marie-Eve Rouge; Rouge Bugat, Marie-Eve
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Cancer care in people over 75 years of age is particularly complex and requires collaboration between oncologists, geriatricians, GPs and other professional and family carers. To improve the care pathways for elderly people living with cancer, the French health authorities have created a network of oncologists and geriatricians; however, GPs experience difficulties in establishing their place in this network.<bold>Objective: </bold>This study aimed to analyse the impressions of French GPs involved in the care of elderly patients with cancer, including their feelings regarding their relationships with their oncologist and geriatrician colleagues.<bold>Methods: </bold>A qualitative approach using focus groups was employed. The proceedings of these focus groups were recorded, retranscribed and subjected to thematic analysis.<bold>Results: </bold>Although heavily involved in the care of their elderly patients living with cancer, the GPs who participated reported feeling isolated in their role at each step during the course of the disease. The principal themes addressed were screening and diagnosis, therapeutic decisions, multidisciplinary consultation meetings, the announcement of the diagnosis and monitoring at home. Their relationships with their oncologist colleagues showed much room for improvement, and they were unaware of the oncogeriatric network.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Improving the communication between GPs, oncologists and geriatric medicine seems to be one response to the isolation that GPs feel when caring for older people with cancer. At the primary care level, integration of GPs into the oncogeriatric network and the creation of a cancer care communication system in collaboration with the relevant hospital teams may be effective solutions.
- Subjects
FRANCE; CANCER treatment; FAMILY medicine; OLDER patients; EARLY detection of cancer; MEDICAL care; TUMOR treatment; ATTITUDE (Psychology); CONTINUUM of care; COOPERATIVENESS; FOCUS groups; GERIATRICS; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; INTERVIEWING; MEDICAL personnel; MEDICAL referrals; PHYSICIAN-patient relations; GENERAL practitioners; PSYCHOLOGY
- Publication
Family Practice, 2016, Vol 33, Issue 5, p551
- ISSN
0263-2136
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/fampra/cmw034