An evaluation of information cards as a means of improving communication between hospital and primary care for women with breast cancer

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.