title: [Patient-centered care. Improvement of communication between university medical centers and general practitioners for patients in neuro-oncology].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Communication between university medical centers and general practitioners (GP) is becoming increasingly more important in supportive patient care. A survey among GPs was performed with the primary objective to assess their opinion on current workflow and communication between GPs and the university medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The GPs were asked to score (grades 1-6) their opinion on the current interdisciplinary workflow in the care of patients with brain tumors, thereby rating communication between a university medical center in general and the neuro-oncology outpatient center in particular.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Questionnaires were sent to1000 GPs and the response rate was 15 %. The mean scored evaluation of the university medical center in general was 2.62 and of the neuro-oncological outpatient clinic 2.28 (range 1-6). The most often mentioned issues to be improved were easier/early telephone information (44 %) and a constantly available contact person (49 %). Interestingly, > 60 % of the GPs indicated they would support web-based tumor boards for interdisciplinary and palliative neuro-oncological care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As interdisciplinary care for neuro-oncology patients is an essential part of therapy, improvement of communication between GPs and university medical centers is indispensable. Integrating currently available electronic platforms under data protection aspects into neuro-oncological palliative care could be an interesting tool in order to establish healthcare networks and could find acceptance with GPs.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland. mirjam.renovanz@unimedzin-mainz.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renovanz
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keric
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutenberg
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giese
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009462:Neurology; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Communication; General practitioners; Healthcare; Neuro-oncology; Patient centered care