PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Michèle Aubin
AU  - Lucie Vézina
AU  - René Verreault
AU  - Lise Fillion
AU  - Éveline Hudon
AU  - François Lehmann
AU  - Yvan Leduc
AU  - Rénald Bergeron
AU  - Daniel Reinharz
AU  - Diane Morin
TI  - Family Physician Involvement in Cancer Care Follow-up: The Experience of a Cohort of Patients With Lung Cancer
AID  - 10.1370/afm.1171
DP  - 2010 Nov 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 526--532
VI  - 8
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/8/6/526.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/8/6/526.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2010 Nov 01; 8
AB  - PURPOSE There has been little research describing the involvement of family physicians in the follow-up of patients with cancer, especially during the primary treatment phase. We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of patients with lung cancer to assess their family physician’s involvement in their follow-up at the different phases of cancer. METHODS In 5 hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada, patients with a recent diagnosis of lung cancer were surveyed every 3 to 6 months, whether they had metastasis or not, for a maximum of 18 months, to assess aspects of their family physician’s involvement in cancer care. RESULTS Of the 395 participating patients, 92% had a regular family physician but only 60% had been referred to a specialist by him/her or a colleague for the diagnosis of their lung cancer. A majority of patients identified the oncology team or oncologists as mainly responsible for their cancer care throughout their cancer journey, except at the advanced phase, where a majority attributed this role to their family physician. At baseline, only 16% of patients perceived a shared care pattern between their family physician and oncologists, but this proportion increased with cancer progression. Most patients would have liked their family physician to be more involved in all aspects of cancer care. CONCLUSIONS Although patients perceive that the oncology team is the main party responsible for the follow-up of their lung cancer, they also wish their family physicians to be involved. Better communication and collaboration between family physicians and the oncology team are needed to facilitate shared care in cancer follow-up.