2009 Faculty Researchers

Jane A. McElroy, PhD

The first step: Identifying areas of disconnect in communications between the patient’s, primary care physician’s, and oncologist perspective of health care for breast cancer.

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Department

Ophthalmology

Office Location

EC210 (Mason Eye Institute) and B031 (VA Hospital)

Phone #:

Office: (573) 882-4993
Fax: (573) 884-6172

Summary

Susan G Komen Mid Missouri Affiliate is interested in characterizing the path from breast cancer diagnosis to long term survival from the perspectives of the patient, of the primary care physician, and of the oncologist. The overall aim of this project is to identify and understand the aspects of care from the patient, primary care physician, or the oncologist’s perspectives.

We hypothesize that the path from diagnosis to long term survival for a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is described differently by each group. We also hypothesize that there are significant identifiable issues related to care and communication within and between each group.

To accomplish this aim we propose to conduct interviews with members of each group until saturation is reached focusing on participants who live in the counties that comprise the Mid-Missouri Affiliate service areas. The research team will construct the key components of the path before beginning the interview process to ensure all significant time points (key components) are being queried during the interview. This path will be annotated using conversations of each participant. This path will be revisited during the interviewing process and additional time points (key components) will be added, if necessary. Interview questionnaires will be developed and modified as needed on an ongoing basis. We would not obtain information that could link a patient’s perspective with her primary care physician’s and oncologist’s perspectives. These interviews will be evaluated using standard qualitative research methodology. Besides questions useful to elicit the description of pathway, demographics of the participants will be obtained. These data will be electronically entered for descriptive analysis. All data will be de-identified such that individuals will not be able to be identified in any presentation or report.

NOTE: This proposal is pending approval from Susan G. Komen. Funding decision will be made the week of the 26th.