Exploring the feasibility of implementing cancer risk assessment tools
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the feasibility of implementing cancer risk assessment tools for early diagnosis of cancer in Lincolnshire primary care
IRAS ID
145966
Contact name
A. Niroshan Siriwardena
Contact email
Research summary
The aim of this study is to use qualitative and quantitative methods to explore approaches to implementing cancer risk assessment tools (CRATs) in Lincolnshire general practices. Developed to aid early diagnosis in cancer, CRATs include the primary care Risk Assessment Tool and QCancer (a computerised cancer risk assessment tool).
For this study, we will use QCancer as this has been extensively researched across a wider range of cancers although not routinely used in general practice. We will recruit four general practices; two study (or intervention) practices which will implement QCancer and two comparison (or control) practices. This will enable us to explore how Qcancer can be implemented, the perceptions of patients and general practitioners (GPs) around using the tool, and whether QCancer makes a difference to investigation, referral, or earlier diagnosis of cancers. This project will be conducted in four workstreams.
In Workstream 1, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with patients and practitioners will explore how best QCancer might be implemented in general practice. In Workstream 2, we will work with GPs in our two intervention general practices to implement QCancer. In Workstream 3, we will explore patients’ experiences of QCancer being used in consultations with their GP. In our final workstream (Workstream 4), we will investigate differences between our intervention and comparison practices in rates of investigations for cancer, referrals to a cancer specialist or diagnoses of cancer before and after the implementation of QCancer.
Findings from the research will lead to recommendations on how best to implement cancer risk assessment tools for early detection of cancer in primary care in Lincolnshire. We will use the learning to spread appropriate implementation and use of these tools to help with early referral for cancer investigations and diagnosis of cancer.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/1108
Date of REC Opinion
13 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion