A clinical placement program for primary care professionals at a comprehensive cancer centre

Abstract

Background: There is a growing number of cancer survivors and increasing interest in models of patient-centred shared care between oncology and primary care.

Objective: The objective of this article was to investigate whether a placement program for general practitioners (GPs) and general practice nurses (GPNs) was feasible, of clinical and professional value, and facilitated knowledge and skills transfer.

Methods: The program recruited GPs and GPNs to complete a 10-hour placement at a cancer centre. Participants completed pre-placement and post-placement semi-structured interviews.

Results: The participants for the study included 16 GPs, 12 GPNs and nine oncologists. All generalists reported that the program's learning outcomes, personal learning needs and relevance to practice were 'entirely' or 'partially' met All would recommend the program and could identify knowledge and skills transfer; however, learning was largely by observation rather than participation. Learning opportunities were skewed towards generalists. Participants showed enthusiasm to address the challenges of providing shared care.

Discussion: The clinical placement program was feasible and highly regarded.