Continuity of Cancer Care and Collaboration Between Family Physicians and Oncologists: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Article Figures & Data

Table 1

Baseline Patient Characteristics

Characteristic	Experimental (n = 104)	Control (n = 102)	P Value
Age, mean (SD), y	64.2 (9.0)	64.6 (8.4)	.73
Male, No. (%) Working status, No. (%)	61 (58.7)	58 (56.9)	.79 .62
Full-time	34 (32.7)	28 (27.5)
Part-time	10 (9.6)	13 (12.7)
Not working	60 (57.7)	61 (59.8)
Type of lung cancer, No. (%)			.32
Squamous cell carcinoma	14 (13.5)	22 (21.6)
Adenomatous carcinoma	53 (51.0)	47 (46.1)
Small cell carcinoma	24 (23.1)	23 (22.5)
Other non-small cell carcinoma	13 (12.5)	10 (9.8)
Treatment, No. (%)			.74
Chemotherapy	36 (34.6)	43 (42.2)
Radiation	5 (4.8)	4 (3.9)
Chemotherapy and radiation	57 (54.8)	50 (49.0)
No treatment	6 (5.8)	5 (4.9)
Metastasis, No. (%)	49 (47.1)	53 (52.0)	.58
TNM classification, No. (%)			.57
Stage 1 and 2	7 (6.7)	3 (2.9)
Stage 3	34 (32.7)	30 (29.4)
Stage 4	36 (34.6)	43 (42.2)
Unclassified^{^a}	27 (26.0)	26 (25.5)
Functional status, No. (%)^{^b}			.11
Active	56 (53.8)	41 (40.2)
Ambulatory but bothered by symptoms	33 (31.7)	36 (35.3)
<50% bedridden	11 (10.6)	12 (11.8)
≥50% bedridden	4 (3.8)	12 (11.8)
Always bedridden	0 (0)	1 (1.0)

TNM = TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors.
↵^aMost patients had small cell carcinoma, for which there is no TNM classification.
↵^bFunctional status according to Eastern Collaborative Oncology Group scale.

Table 2

Baseline Patient Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Experimental (n = 104)	Control (n = 102)	P Value
Interprofessional collaboration, mean (SD)^{^a}	3.2 (1.0)	3.2 (1.0)	.77
Relational continuity, mean (SD)^{^b}
Knowledge of patient	3.6 (0.8)	3.5 (0.8)	.93
Partnership and confidence	3.9 (0.6)	3.8 (0.8)	.17
Pattern of care, No. (%)			.04
Sequential^{^c}	13 (12.5)	24 (23.5)
Parallel^{^d}	66 (63.5)	48 (47.1)
Shared^{^e}	25 (24.0)	30 (29.4)
Distress, No. (%)^{^f}	6 (5.8)	10 (9.8)	.28
Good informational continuity, No. (%)^{^g}	18 (32.7)	21 (36.2)	.7
Good management continuity, No. (%)^{^g}	43 (78.2)	47 (81.0)	.71

FP = family physician.
↵^aScore range 1-5; a higher score indicates a better perception of interprofessional collaboration.
↵^bScore range 1-5; a higher score indicates a better perception of relational continuity.
↵^cFPs not involved when specialists are involved.
↵^dFPs involved with health problems unrelated to cancer.
↵^eFPs and oncology team both involved in cancer care.
↵^fDistress based on Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Patients with a score ≥15 (range 0-42) considered to have clinically significant distress.
↵^gResponses given only by patients who had seen their FP (N_experimental = 55, N_control = 58); patients with a score ≥ 4 (range 1-5) perceived good continuity.