Knowledge In And Support For Standardised Cancer Care Pathways Among General Practitioners And Other Physicians In Sweden

ObjectiveTo 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.DesignA survey in the form of 10 knowledge-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and two general questions about CPPs.SettingPhysicians from two different regions in Sweden answered the survey between December 2018 and January 2019.SubjectsGPs in primary care compared to other physicians. 155 participants completed the survey and the response rate was 65%.Main outcome measuresPhysicians' 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.ResultsA 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.ConclusionsThe 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.