Predictive values of GPs’ suspicion of serious disease: a population-based follow-up study

Abstract

BackgroundKnowledge is sparse on the prevalence of suspicion of cancer and other serious diseases in general practice. Likewise, little is known about the possible implications of this suspicion on future healthcare use and diagnoses.

Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study

“…Since Spanish GPs have a similar GF to the Dutch concept where the Gut Feeling Questionnaire originates, we can proceed to translate and make the linguistic validation of the Gut Feeling Questionnaire to Spanish, and use it to determine the presence and accuracy of GFs. In the few quantitative studies conducted on GPs' suspicion of cancer or serious illness after a consultation, the negative predictive value of suspicion was high and the positive predictive value was moderate, but these were comparable to the predictive values of the main ‘red-flag’ symptoms 15. Once we know the diagnostic accuracy of GFs, it may be possible to develop and assess teaching strategies.…”

Juggling efficiency. An ethnographic study exploring healthcare seeking practices and institutional logics in Danish primary care settings

“…The rest present in primary care with 'unspecific' or 'vague' symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, pain or general feelings of discomfort (Nielsen et al, 2010). Illustrating this proportionally, an average Danish primary care physician diagnose approximately eight cancer patients a year, but encounters lots of potential 'alarm symptoms' of cancer on a daily basis (Hjertholm et al, 2014). The same naturally goes for the general population, which are faced with still more complex decisions in regard to identifying potential signs of disease in need of professional care.…”

Predictive values of referrals for transient ischaemic attack from first-contact health care: a systematic review

“…It is interesting to note that the PPVs in this study are higher than those for cancer, where there is an accelerated referral process in order to expedite diagnosis and treatment. [38][39][40] However, the complexity of diagnosis and ongoing management of the other conditions that are found among TIA referrals mandates that other specialties are involved in service delivery, an issue that has less of an impact on organ-specific cancer referral pathways.…”