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- Title
Why we need a population-based approach to clinical indicators for cancer: a case study using microscopic confirmation of lung cancer in Queensland.
- Authors
Coory, M.; Fong, K.; Bowman, R.; Hall, L.
- Abstract
An important function of clinical cancer registries is to provide feedback to clinicians on various performance measures. To date, most clinical cancer registries in Australia are located in tertiary academic hospitals, where adherence to guidelines is probably already high. Microscopic confirmation is an important process measure for lung cancer care. We found that the proportion of patients with lung cancer without microscopic confirmation was much higher in regional public hospitals (27.1%) than in tertiary hospitals (7.5%), and this disparity remained after adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities. The percentage was also higher in the private than in the public sector. This case study shows that we need a population-based approach to measuring clinical indicators that includes regional public hospitals as a matter of priority and should ideally include the private sector.
- Subjects
CANCER patients; HOSPITALS; LUNG cancer; PUBLIC hospitals; PUBLIC health
- Publication
Internal Medicine Journal, 2006, Vol 36, Issue 6, p389
- ISSN
1444-0903
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1445-5994.2006.01074.x