Disconnect between primary care and cancer follow-up care: An exploratory study from Odisha, India

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Abstract

Objective: There has been a steady increase in the demand for cancer follow-up care in India. Compared with Western countries, there is little evidence on the capacity of the Indian primary care workforce to accommodate such tasks. We explored the perceptions of oncologists, general practitioners, and patients with regard to the involvement of primary care in cancer follow-up care.

Methods: We undertook semistructured focus-group discussions with eight oncologists, nine general practitioners, and 17 cancer patients to gain an understanding of their perceived roles and responsibilities with regard to primary care in delivering follow-up care and the potential concerns. Data from the focus groups were transcribed verbatim, translated, and analyzed with use of a thematic approach.

Results: Most general practitioners felt that their job is to see ‘normal’ patients, and cancer patients were exceptions to routine care. Oncologists were apprehensive with regard to the competence of general practitioners and patient trust. Patients consult oncologists for cancer follow-up care as they perceive it to be very specialized. Patients expressed difficulty in accessing follow-up care and want specialized oncological care by trained personnel in their vicinity.

Conclusion: Despite the growing number of cancer survivors, we found a disconnect between primary care and cancer follow-up care.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): FMCH

Title: Family Medicine and Community Health

Abbreviated Title: FMCH

Publisher: Compuscript (Ireland )

ISSN (Electronic): 2009-8774

ISSN (Print): 2305-6983

Publication date (Print): September 2015

Publication date (Electronic): October 2015

Volume: 3

Issue: 3

Pages: 9-17

Affiliations

[1] ¹Indian Institute of Public Health Bhubaneswar, Public Health Foundation of India, 2nd and 3rd Floor, JSS Software Technology Park, E1/1, Infocity Road, Patia, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India

[2] ²All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Sijua, Bhubaneswar 751019, Odisha, India

[3] ³Ex-Director, Regional Cancer Center, Cuttack Odisha, India

[4] ⁴Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 1, Medical Quad Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9DX, UK

Author notes

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Sanghamitra Pati, Additional Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health Bhubaneswar, Public Health Foundation of India, 2nd and 3rd Floor, JSS Software Technology Park, E1/1, Infocity Road, Patia, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India, E-mail: sanghamitra.pati@ 123456iiphb.org , drsanghamitra12@ 123456gmail.com

Article

Publisher ID: fmch20150137

DOI: 10.15212/FMCH.2015.0137

SO-VID: ae70ea2c-85c4-4105-990c-3a275c243045

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.