Abstract
To establish whether Patients or Medical Professionals are the main source of delay for patients referred to a Specialist Centre for Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
Methods: Patients were recruited from both outpatient clinics and from the surgical ward. A semi-structured interview was used to take a detailed history of the patients’ treatment pathway, before arriving at the Specialist Centre. Results: The average time for patient to present to a SC from the onset of symptoms was 110 weeks, (min 3 days, max 1089 weeks), with a median of 40 weeks. Average delay to presentation to a medical professional (patient delay) was 24.5 weeks (min 0, max 530), median 2 weeks. Average delay in referral to a SC (service delay) was 84 weeks (min 0 max 1083), median 25weeks.
Discussion: Medical professionals rather than patients contribute the greatest source of delay in patients reaching a Specialist Centre for treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Adherence to previously published guidelines could decrease this delay. Medical professional awareness of these guidelines and their contents needs to be increased.
Correspondence should be addressed to BOOS at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35 - 43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PN
