Primary care practitioner diagnostic action when the patient may have cancer: a vignette survey in 20 European countries

Background Cancer survival rates vary widely between European countries, with differences in timeliness of diagnosis thought to be one key reason. There is little evidence on the way in which different healthcare systems influence Primary Care Practitioners’ (PCPs’) referral decisions in patients that could have cancer, and how this links with cancer survival. This study aimed to explore PCPs’ diagnostic actions in patients with symptoms that could be due to cancer, how they vary across European countries with marked differences in socio-economic development, healthcare investment and organisation, and how they relate to cancer survival rates. Methods A primary care study, with centres in twenty European countries with widely varying cancer survival rates. The on-line survey of PCPs used vignettes describing four patients with symptoms that could indicate cancer (lung, ovary, breast and colorectal). PCPs were asked how they would manage these patients. Correlations between the likelihood of taking immediate diagnostic action and physician characteristics were calculated. The likelihood of taking immediate diagnostic action in the different participating countries was also analysed, as well as the correlation with national 1-year relative cancer survival rates. Results A total of 2,086 PCPs answered the survey question, with a median of 72 PCPs per country. PCPs’ likelihood of organising a diagnostic test and/or referring to a specialist at the first consultation varied from 50 to 82% between countries PCPs who were more experienced, were working in more remote areas, or worked alone or in smaller practices, were more likely to take immediate diagnostic action than their peers. There was a significant negative correlation between national healthcare expenditure levels and likelihood of immediate diagnostic action (r=–0.55, P=0.012). However, there was no significant correlation between the likelihood of taking immediate diagnostic action and cancer survival (r=–0.27, P=0.278). Conclusions Europe shows large between-country variations in PCPs’ diagnostic action rates for patients who could have cancer. These are linked with differences in healthcare organisation and levels of healthcare investment.