PA Medical News about referring patients; major cancer surgery

Become a Member Today!
Register

Most Viewed Abstracts

1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians

2. Recommendations on the use of 18F-FDG PET in oncology

3. Use of Antiemetic Agents in Acute Gastroenteritis

4. Gene expression signatures, clinicopathological features, and individualized therapy in breast cancer

5. AHA Guidelines on Cardiac CT for Assessing Coronary Artery Disease

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

(Click the title below to leave the MDLinx Network and go to the Journal's Website)

Factors to consider before referring patients for major cancer surgery
JAAPA, 08/10/09

Tetzlaff ED – Primary care providers can improve the quality of care for patients with cancer by referring them to surgeons and hospitals with high volumes and surgical expertise. Patients should be educated about the hospital and surgeon characteristics associated with low operative mortality so that they have the best opportunity for a good outcome. Unfortunately, not all patients can receive care at a large comprehensive cancer center. In this case, it is the responsibility of surgeons and health care researchers to identify the beneficial characteristics of high–volume hospitals, high–volume surgeons, and subspecialty trained surgeons so that outcomes can be improved in low–volume centers with less experienced surgeons.