Emergency admission with colorectal cancer: its relationship to primary health care organization.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if associations exist between emergency admission with colorectal cancer and patient demographics and features of primary health care organization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1992 and 1997 a prospective study of 485 consecutive colorectal cancer admissions to the Hope Hospital Colorectal Cancer Database (HCCD) was performed. Details of patient gender, age, marital status, postcode and general practitioner (GP) code were recorded at admission. The Jarman (UPA) score was derived from each patient's postcode. The GP code was used to identify from the local health authority lists for each patient, the number of GPs in the referring practice, the fund-holding status of practice and the presence or absence of a GP trainer in the practice.
RESULTS: Neither patient gender nor Jarman (UPA) score was associated with emergency admission. Patient age >75 years (P=0.05) and patient (single/divorced/widowed) marital status (P=0.07) were associated with emergency admission. There was no association between the number of GPs, the fund-holding or training status of the referring practice and patient referral as an emergency with colorectal cancer.
CONCLUSION: Emergency admission with colorectal cancer is not associated with present aspects of primary health care organization-specifically number of GPs in practice, fund-holding or training.