title: Use of screening tests, diagnosis wait times, and wait-related satisfaction in breast and prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Understanding factors relating to the perception of wait time by patients is key to improving the patient experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 122 breast and 90 prostate cancer patients presenting at clinics or listed on the cancer registry in Newfoundland and Labrador and reviewed their charts. We compared the wait time (first visit to diagnosis) and the wait-related satisfaction for breast and prostate cancer patients who received regular screening tests and whose cancer was screening test-detected ("screen/screen"); who received regular screening tests and whose cancer was symptomatic ("screen/symptomatic"); who did not receive regular screening tests and whose cancer was screen test-detected ("no screen/screen"); and who did not receive regular screening tests and whose cancer was symptomatic ("no screen/symptomatic").
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although there were no group differences with respect to having a long wait (greater than the median of 47.5 days) for breast cancer patients (47.8% screen/screen, 54.7% screen/symptomatic, 50.0% no screen/ screen, 40.0% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.814), a smaller proportion of the screen/symptomatic patients were satisfied with their wait (72.5% screen/ screen, 56.4% screen/symptomatic, 100% no screen/ screen, 90.9% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.048). A larger proportion of screen/symptomatic prostate cancer patients had long waits (>104.5 days: 41.3% screen/screen, 92.0% screen/symptomatic, 46.0% no screen/screen, 40.0% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.011) and a smaller proportion of screen/ symptomatic patients were satisfied with their wait (71.2% screen/screen, 30.8% screen/symptomatic, 76.9% no screen/screen, 90.9% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis-related wait times and satisfaction were poorest among patients who received regular screening tests but whose cancer was not detected by those tests.
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, St. John's, NL.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, St. John's, NL.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, St. John's, NL.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gadag
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, St. John's, NL.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
keywords: Cancer screening; breast cancer; patient satisfaction; prostate cancer; wait times