Waiting times for cancer therapy in the UK
Author Information
Author(s): Williams M V, Drinkwater K J, Jones A, O'Sullivan B, Tait D
Primary Institution: The Royal College of Radiologists
Hypothesis
What are the waiting times for systemic cancer therapy across the United Kingdom?
Conclusion
The audit established a baseline measurement of waiting times for systemic therapy, showing high compliance with the 31-day target but less satisfactory results for the 62-day target.
Supporting Evidence
- 84% of patients commenced treatment within 21 days.
- 98% complied with the 31-day treatment target.
- 76% complied with the 62-day target from GP referral to treatment.
Takeaway
This study looked at how long patients wait to start cancer treatment in the UK, finding that most get treated quickly, but some wait too long.
Methodology
Data were collected from 936 patients across 81 hospitals in the UK during a one-week period in November 2006.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to incomplete data submission from hospitals.
Limitations
The study did not analyze interruptions to treatment later in the course and lacked complete data on urgent referrals.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 16 years or older commencing their first course of systemic therapy.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01169
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 18.3–29.4
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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