[Breast cancer follow-up by primary care physician: patient satisfaction in the Metropolitan Paris region]

Bull Cancer. 2012 Oct;99(10):915-25. doi: 10.1684/bdc.2012.1640.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Because of increasing breast cancer incidence and improvement in long-term prognosis, follow-up of patients cannot be carried out entirely in specialized cancer centres. The Réseau Gynécomed was created to transfer the follow-up of patients to primary care physicians (PCP). In 2009, to evaluate the quality of PCP follow-up, a satisfaction study was performed for the 1,245 women followed after breast cancer. Sixty-four percent of the women participate in the study. Before starting follow-up, 87% were informed about its purpose and 93% about its schedule. The satisfaction score was excellent (91%). Old age, perception of a good health status, a high quality of information about and a confident relationship with their PCP were associated with a better satisfaction level. Forty-eight percent of patients thought easy to accept the PCP follow-up. Considering this data, PCP monitoring seems to provide a good follow-up and may be developed. Nonetheless, conditions of patients' choice should be improved and particularly exclude patients with financial difficulties. It would facilitate the growing transfer of follow-up to the PCP.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration*
  • Continuity of Patient Care / standards
  • Female
  • France
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Patient Education as Topic / standards
  • Patient Handoff / organization & administration
  • Patient Handoff / standards
  • Patient Satisfaction*
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Primary Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Primary Health Care / standards
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards