OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a 7-week public bowel cancer awareness campaign pilot by reviewing the number of 2-week referrals from general practitioners (GPs) to hospital, endoscopic procedures and new cancers diagnosed throughout the five acute hospitals in The Peninsular Cancer Network, UK. DESIGN: A retrospective before and after study. SETTING: The Peninsula Cancer Network in the South West of England, UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For the period July 2010-July 2011, data were collected on the number of 2-week referrals, number of endoscopic procedures performed and number of new cancers diagnosed. The average for the 6 months before the campaign was compared with the immediate 3 months and then the fourth to sixth months following the campaign. Student's t test was used to compare the means of the three groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of 2-week referrals from GPs to hospital in the 3 months following the campaign but this effect disappeared after that. There was no statistical increase in the number of endoscopic procedures or new cancers diagnosed following the awareness campaign. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot 'Be Clear on Cancer' awareness campaign had a significant effect on the number of patients being referred from GPs to hospital; however, the effect was short lived and had returned to baseline by 3 months. The campaign had no effect on the number of new cancers diagnosed, which was the stated underlying aim of the pilot.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a 7-week public bowel cancer awareness campaign pilot by reviewing the number of 2-week referrals from general practitioners (GPs) to hospital, endoscopic procedures and new cancers diagnosed throughout the five acute hospitals in The Peninsular Cancer Network, UK. DESIGN: A retrospective before and after study. SETTING: The Peninsula Cancer Network in the South West of England, UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For the period July 2010-July 2011, data were collected on the number of 2-week referrals, number of endoscopic procedures performed and number of new cancers diagnosed. The average for the 6 months before the campaign was compared with the immediate 3 months and then the fourth to sixth months following the campaign. Student's t test was used to compare the means of the three groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of 2-week referrals from GPs to hospital in the 3 months following the campaign but this effect disappeared after that. There was no statistical increase in the number of endoscopic procedures or new cancers diagnosed following the awareness campaign. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot 'Be Clear on Cancer' awareness campaign had a significant effect on the number of patients being referred from GPs to hospital; however, the effect was short lived and had returned to baseline by 3 months. The campaign had no effect on the number of new cancers diagnosed, which was the stated underlying aim of the pilot.
Authors: Mark Lawler; Deborah Alsina; Richard A Adams; Annie S Anderson; Gina Brown; Nicola S Fearnhead; Stephen W Fenwick; Stephen P Halloran; Daniel Hochhauser; Mark A Hull; Viktor H Koelzer; Angus G K McNair; Kevin J Monahan; Inke Näthke; Christine Norton; Marco R Novelli; Robert J C Steele; Anne L Thomas; Lisa M Wilde; Richard H Wilson; Ian Tomlinson Journal: Gut Date: 2018-01 Impact factor: 23.059
Authors: Jackie Campbell; Kirty Vaghela; Stephen Rogers; Michelle Pyer; Alice Simon; Jo Waller Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2018-08-09 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Aradhna Kaushal; Angelos P Kassianos; Jessica Sheringham; Jo Waller; Christian von Wagner Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-02-25 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Ruth Plackett; Aradhna Kaushal; Angelos P Kassianos; Aaron Cross; Douglas Lewins; Jessica Sheringham; Jo Waller; Christian von Wagner Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-11-09 Impact factor: 5.428