Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39237932›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2024

Exploring transitions in care among patients with head and neck CANCER: a multimethod study.

Jaling Kersen, Pamela Roach, Shamir Chandarana, Paul Ronksley, Khara Sauro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Redefining Nursing in Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Care: Implications of the ICN's 2025 Definitions for an Evolving Specialty.ORL-head and neck nursing : official journal of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jaling KersenDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Pamela RoachDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Shamir ChandaranaDepartment of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Paul RonksleyDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Khara SauroDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. kmsauro@ucalgary.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with head and neck cancers (HNC) experience many transitions in care (TiC), occurring when patients are transferred between healthcare providers and/or settings. TiC can compromise patient safety, decrease patient satisfaction, and increase healthcare costs. The evidence around TiC among patients with HNC is sparse. The objective of this study was to improve our understanding of TiC among patients with HNC to identify ways to improve care.

methodsThis multimethod study consisted of two phases: Phase I (retrospective population-based cohort study) characterized the number and type of TiC that patients with HNC experienced using deterministically linked, population-based administrative health data in Alberta, Canada (January 1, 2012, to September 1, 2020), and Phase II (qualitative descriptive study) used semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of patients with HNC and their healthcare providers during TiC.

resultsThere were 3,752 patients with HNC; most were male (70.8%) with a mean age at diagnosis of 63.3 years (SD 13.1). Patients underwent an average of 1.6 (SD 0.7) treatments, commonly transitioning from surgery to radiotherapy (21.2%). Many patients with HNC were admitted to the hospital during the study period, averaging 3.3 (SD 3.0) hospital admissions and 7.8 (SD 12.6) emergency department visits per patient over the study period. Visits to healthcare providers were also frequent, with the highest number of physician visits being to general practitioners (average = 70.51 per patient). Analysis of sixteen semi-structured interviews (ten patients with HNC and six healthcare providers) revealed three themes: (1) Navigating the healthcare system including challenges with the complexity of HNC care amongst healthcare system pressures, (2) Relational head and neck cancer care which encompasses patient expectations and relationships, and (3) System and individual impact of transitions in care.

conclusionsThis study identified challenges faced by both patients with HNC and their healthcare providers amidst the frequent TiC within cancer care, which was perceived to have an impact on quality of care. These findings provide crucial insights that can inform and guide future research or the development of health interventions aiming to improve the quality of TiC within this patient population.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsAgedAlbertaContinuity of Patient CareFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient SatisfactionPatient TransferQualitative ResearchRetrospective StudiesCanadaCare transitionsContinuity of careOncologyOtolaryngology

Identifiers

PMID39237932
PMCPMC11378503

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.