Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr 4;24(2):3.
doi: 10.5334/ijic.7627. eCollection 2024 Apr-Jun.

Clinicians' Experiences and Perspectives about a New Lung Cancer Referral Pathway in a Regional Health Service

Zulfiquer Otty  1   2   3 , Sarah Larkins  1   2 , Rebecca Evans  1   2 , Amy Brown  1   2   3 , Sabe Sabesan  1   2   3
Affiliations

Clinicians' Experiences and Perspectives about a New Lung Cancer Referral Pathway in a Regional Health Service

Zulfiquer Otty et al. Int J Integr Care. .

Abstract

Introduction: Development and implementation of the Townsville Lung Cancer Referral Pathway [TLCRP] aims to reduce delays and improve referral patterns of people with suspected lung cancer in north Queensland, Australia. Reported in this paper is the experiences and perspectives of general practitioners [GPs] and specialists of the TLCRP.

Methods: This was a descriptive qualitative study nested within a larger project evaluating TLCRP, utilising a broader implementation science framework. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with GPs and specialists were conducted. An iterative, inductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts was used to derive key codes, then grouped into themes regarding participant experiences and perceptions.

Results: Data analysis identified two major themes and several sub-themes. The major themes were variation in the uptake of TLCRP and enhancing coordinated care and communication.

Discussion: Several enablers and barriers to implementing TLCRP were identified. Barriers to adaptation of TLCRP included lack of clinical time, resistance to changing referral patterns, lack of familiarity or experience with HealthPathways and technology issues.

Conclusion: Emerging themes from this study may be used to reduce the barriers and improve uptake of TLCRP and other health care pathways in the local health service and may have wider relevance in other settings.

Keywords: clinicians’ experiences; lung cancer; qualitative study; referral pathways.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Table 1
Table 1
Overall project diagram. Strategic implementation framework for the project. Adapted from Mitchell S et al, 2017, Journal of Oncology Practice [29].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2021; 71(3): 209–49. DOI: 10.3322/caac.21660 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Valery PC, Coory M, Stirling J, Green AC. Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: a matched cohort study. The Lancet. 2006; 367(9525): 1842–8. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68806-5 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Afshar N, English DR, Milne RL. Rural–urban residence and cancer survival in high-income countries: A systematic review. Cancer. 2019; 125(13): 2172–84. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32073 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jong KE, Smith DP, Yu XQ, O’Connell DL, Goldstein D, Armstrong BK. Remoteness of residence and survival from cancer in New South Wales. Med J Aust. 2004; 180(12): 618–22. DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06123.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Verma R, Pathmanathan S, Otty Z, Binder J, Vangaveti V, Buttner P, et al. Delays in lung cancer referral pathways between Rural and Urban patients in North Queensland: A Mixed Methods Study. Intern Med J. 2018. DOI: 10.1111/imj.13934 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources