title: Women with breast cancers' preferences for surveillance follow-up.
abstract: BOCKGROUND: On completion of treatment people with breast cancer are offered surveillance at a hospital clinic and/or in primary care. It is unclear whom patients prefer to consult about their problems following cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients being followed up by a hospital nurse were surveyed at their follow-up appointment and three months later. The survey included demographic information, symptom profile, and the Patient Enablement Index (PEI). A subsequent survey of the patients' general practitioners (GPs)s confirmed which patients had consulted their GP prior to the nurse appointment. Three months after their appointment patients completed the PEI and were surveyed about their preference of practitioner for problems following treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  101 patients responded to the first survey and 60 patients to the follow-up survey. In 68% of cases women reported that they did not consult their GP about breast cancer related symptoms prior to their appointment at the clinic, choosing instead to present to a Breast Care Nurse (BCN). In the survey patients preferred their GP if they needed a physical examination (p = 0.007) or referral to a specialist (p <0.001). Older patients were more likely to choose a BCN if they wanted a mammogram and a GP if they wanted a physical exam or emotional support. The PEI scores after follow-up with the BCNs were equivalent to those reported following GP consultations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients prefer their GP overall, but we observed that the majority of women did not consult their GP when they had scheduled appointments with a BCN at a hospital clinic.
authors.affiliation: Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. m.jiwa@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Moyez
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiwa
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halkett
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deas
authors.forename: Xingqiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D057240:Patient Preference; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D014904:Western Australia