Knowledge of and support for cancer patient pathways among general practitioners and other physicians – a study from Sweden

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expertise in and support of the implemented new method of cancer patient pathways (CPPs) among general practitioners (GPs) and other working physicians in Sweden. DESIGN: A survey in the form of 10 knowledge-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and two general questions about CPPs. SETTING: Physicians from two different regions in Sweden answered the survey between December 2018 and January 2019. SUBJECTS: GPs in primary care compared to other physicians. 155 participants completed the survey and the response rate was 65%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physicians’ self-estimated knowledge of CPPs in general and opinion of CPPs effect on mortality and morbidity. Their scores on 10 different MCQs. Scores were analysed in subgroups related to the physicians medical specialty and experience. RESULTS: A majority of all physicians (63%) felt that they had insufficient knowledge regarding the procedure of CPPs, and the average score from the MCQs was 3.8 out of 10 correct answers. The results showed that GPs performed significantly better than specialists from other disciplines. CONCLUSIONS: The low percentage of correctly answered MCQs shows that the information about the entry part of CPPs needs to be improved. The study demonstrates a support for the system with CPPs because the physicians believed in its’ positive effects on morbidity and mortality, however, it also reveals a lack of self-estimated knowledge about the system with CPPs. KEY POINTS: Cancer patient pathways (CPPs) is a newly implemented method in Sweden that aims to equalize cancer care and reduce the time to diagnosis and treatment. The proficiency of when to initiate an investigation according to a specific CPP seems low. General practitioners (GPs) performed significantly better on knowledge-based questions than other specialists did. Physicians rated their knowledge as insufficient regarding the procedure of CPPs. A clear majority of physicians believed that CPPs promotes a lower mortality and morbidity in cancer.