Medscape: New Medical Admissions Test for New Generation of Physicians

New Medical Admissions Test for New Generation of Physicians

"People who have taken the MCAT see it as an exam that emphasizes physics, chemistry, and math, first and foremost, Darrell Kirch, MD, president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, said in a video on the association's Web site."

Reported referral for genetic counseling or BRCA 1/2 testing among United States physicians - journal Cancer 2011 - abstract

CONCLUSION:

Physicians reported that they would refer many average-risk women and would not refer many high-risk women for genetic counseling/testing. Intervention efforts, including promotion of accurate risk assessment, are needed.

Primary Care Doctors and Medical Oncologists Have Different Concerns About Providing Survivorship Care | Cancer.Net ASCO/Patient Pages

"It’s important for patients to talk with both their oncologist and primary care doctor and make sure that information about their treatment and follow-up care recommendations is being shared."

Abstract/full free access: US public opinion regarding proposed limits on resident physician work hours (references to New Zealand, UK, Europe)

Associations Among Cancer Survivorship Discussions, Patient and Physician Expectations, and Receipt of Follow-Up Care - JCO abstract

Note: abstract - 1)  pay-per-view/subscription journal; 2) selected key points:  total study # of patients= 431; breast cancer responses = 52%; gyn cancers = 4%; study did not break down differing gyn cancers; caucasian =94%

2010 Who Is Responsible? The Role of Family Physicians in the Provision of Supportive Cancer Care

Note: the issues from the family physicians' perspective

Urgent notice: Ovarian Cancer woman needs help - pls respond Vancouver, BC

An ovarian cancer woman is being discharged to home hospice care, however, her wishes are to die within an institutional complex hospice care facility. Physician hospice support would be required. Apparently these services are not available for patients/people with complex care. IF you can assist with these system issues please respond in an urgent manner.

Primary Care Physicians' Views of Routine Follow-Up Care of Cancer Survivors

CO Early Release, published online ahead of print Apr 20 2009
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2008.20.4883


Primary Care Physicians' Views of Routine Follow-Up Care of Cancer Survivors

M. Elisabeth Del Giudice,* Eva Grunfeld, Bart J. Harvey, Eugenia Piliotis, and Sunil Verma
Department of Family and Community Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Ontario Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Care Ontario, Health Services Research Program; and Divisions of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lisa.delgiudice@sunnybrook.ca

Purpose: Routine follow-up of adult cancer survivors is an important clinical and health service issue. Because of a lack of evidence supporting advantages of long-term follow-up care in oncology clinics, there is increasing interest for the locus of this care to be provided by primary care physicians (PCPs). However, current Canadian PCP views on this issue have been largely unknown.

Methods: A mail survey of a random sample of PCPs across Canada, stratified by region and proximity to urban centers, was conducted. Views on routine follow-up of adult cancer survivors and modalities to facilitate PCPs in providing this care were determined.

Results: A total of 330 PCPs responded (adjusted response rate, 51.7%). After completion of active treatment, PCPs were willing to assume exclusive responsibility for routine follow-up care after 2.4 ± 2.3 years had elapsed for prostate cancer, 2.6 ± 2.6 years for colorectal cancer, 2.8 ± 2.5 years for breast cancer, and 3.2 ± 2.7 years for lymphoma. PCPs already providing this care were willing to provide exclusive care sooner. The most useful modalities PCPs felt would assist them in assuming exclusive responsibility for follow-up cancer care were (1) a patient-specific letter from the specialist, (2) printed guidelines, (3) expedited routes of rereferral, and (4) expedited access to investigations for suspected recurrence.

Conclusion: With appropriate information and support in place, PCPs reported being willing to assume exclusive responsibility for the follow-up care of adult cancer survivors. Insights gained from this survey may ultimately help guide strategies in providing optimal care to these patients.