K. Luker et al., An evaluation of information cards as a means of improving communication between hospital and primary care for women with breast cancer, J ADV NURS, 31(5), 2000, pp. 1174-1182
This paper describes an intervention study aimed at improving communication
between hospital services and the primary health care team. A series of in
formation cards were developed by breast specialist secondary care professi
onals for members of the primary health care team. Women with breast cancer
were involved in the communication pathway and were asked to take the info
rmation cards to their own general practitioner (GP) practice. It was envis
aged that women would be more likely to utilize the primary health care tea
m for information if they were aware that the primary health care team was
in receipt of information specific to the treatment they had received. Wome
n newly diagnosed with breast cancer were allocated to either an interventi
on (n = 38) or non-intervention (n = 38) group. Patient interviews were car
ried out around the time of diagnosis and at 4 months from diagnosis. Inter
views were also carried out with 31 GPs to ascertain their views on the pro
vision of information for women with breast cancer, and on the information
cards if relevant. The study findings were interesting although not signifi
cant in terms of the direction anticipated. The cards did not impact on the
utilization of the primary health care team and women in the intervention
group were no more likely to utilize primary care sources of information th
an women in the non-intervention group. Factors such as the long-standing r
elationship women had with their GP, the perceived lack of specialist knowl
edge on the part of GPs and district nurses, and the women's perception tha
t information seeking was not a tangible reason for primary care contact ha
d an impact on information-seeking behaviour.