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Earlier Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care: a Feasibility Economic Analysis of ThinkCancer!

Overview
Journal BJGP Open
Specialty Public Health
Date 2022 Dec 21
PMID 36543386
Authors
Bethany Fern Anthony
Stefanie Disbeschl
Nia Goulden
Annie Hendry
Julia Hiscock
Zoe Hoare
Jessica Roberts
Jan Rose
Alun Surgey
Nefyn Howard Williams
Daniel Walker
Richard Neal
Clare Wilkinson
Rhiannon Tudor Edwards
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Background: UK cancer survival rates are much lower compared with other high-income countries. In primary care, there are opportunities for GPs and other healthcare professionals to act more quickly in response to presented symptoms that might represent cancer. ThinkCancer! is a complex behaviour change intervention aimed at primary care practice teams to improve the timely diagnosis of cancer.

Aim: To explore the costs of delivering the ThinkCancer! intervention to expedite cancer diagnosis in primary care.

Design & Setting: Feasibility economic analysis using a micro-costing approach, which was undertaken in 19 general practices in Wales, UK.

Method: From an NHS perspective, micro-costing methodology was used to determine whether it was feasible to gather sufficient economic data to cost the ThinkCancer!

Intervention: Results of this feasibility study will be used to inform a future definitive economic evaluation alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Results: The total costs of delivering the ThinkCancer! intervention across 19 general practices in Wales was £25 030, with an average cost per practice of £1317 (standard deviation [SD]: 578.2). Findings from the BIA indicated a total cost of £34 630 for face-to-face delivery.

Conclusion: Data collection methods were successful in gathering sufficient health economics data to cost the ThinkCancer!

Citing Articles

'ThinkCancer!': randomised feasibility trial of a novel practice-based early cancer diagnosis intervention.

Disbeschl S, Hendry A, Surgey A, Walker D, Goulden N, Anthony B BJGP Open. 2024; 8(3).

PMID: 38702056 PMC: 11523528. DOI: 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0220.

The BJGP Open Top 10 Most Read Research Articles of 2023: an editorial.

Burrell A, Dambha-Miller H BJGP Open. 2024; 8(1).

PMID: 38418218 PMC: 11169966. DOI: 10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0042.

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