Cancer Care in the German family practice:
Curent state and needs analysis

 Background and aims

As a result of an aging population and improvements in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, the number of cancer patients and the number of cancer survivors is steadily increasing. Throughout the course of the illness, cancer patients consult general practitioners (GP) e.g. with regard to supportive or psychosocial care needs. Thus the majority of cancer patients constantly return to their GPs for advice. This aspect is of rising importance during and following treatment by specialized institutions (like oncology in- and outpatient specialists, palliative care teams, etc.) especially when the intensity of specialized follow-up care declines.

As no systematic survey of the primary health care provided to cancer patients in Germany has yet been conducted, this study asks GPs how they view current primary and specialist care for cancer patients. The analysis seeks not only to describe the current situation but takes into account how GPs rate cooperation with other providers of cancer care. Important aspects relating to the structure and content of primary care for cancer patients will be presented at the end of the study.

 Method

First part of the project

In a first step, important subject areas were explored by means of a qualitative survey (expert interviews with GPs), on the basis of which an item pool for a subsequent quantitative survey was generated, and the resulting questionnaire for the investigation of primary care for cancer patients in Germany piloted. The results of an appraisal of the recommendations provided in national cancer guidelines that are of relevance to GPs were also taken into account in the development of the questionnaire.
Please find publications relating to this part of the project [here].

Second part of the project

In a second step, 4,500 German GPs were asked how they view the health care situation of their cancer patients by means of a quantitative survey that was newly developed in phase 1. In the course of this stage of the project, it has become clear that interdisciplinary cooperation is an important subject for GPs. It is therefore the aim of a third phase of the project to explore how oncologists from in- and outpatient settings see the role of the GP in the care of cancer patients throughout the duration of the illness. Qualitative interviews with oncologists will therefore be conducted. These interviews will then provide the basis for further focus group discussions with GPs.

 Funding and duration

The project "Cancer care in the German family practice" is sponsored by German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe).

Duration of first part of project: 05/2012 - 04/2013

Duration of second part of project: 01/2015 - 12/2016

 Contact