Ietje Perfors

25 Methods Design An online national survey was developed and distributed among (former) cancer patients in the Netherlands in May 2019 by the Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organisations (in Dutch: NFK). Study population NFK is an umbrella organisation of 19 cancer patient organisations. These cancer patient organisations together represent approximately 35,000 (former) cancer patients. The survey was distributed in several ways. First, the survey was dispersed to the affiliated cancer patient organisations, which represent adult cancer patients with a large variety in diagnoses. These cancer patient organisations were asked to distribute the survey among their members. This could either be directly to all members or indirectly through their newsletter. Second, a web link to the survey was distributed through social media accounts of NFK (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram), via their website and via other relevant partner organisations (such as The Dutch Cancer Society and the website kanker.nl) . Finally, a panel of (former) cancer patients, who were not a member of one of the cancer patient organisations, were sent an invitation to participate in the survey. Online survey The online survey was developed by NFK, in cooperation with experts in the fields of cancer, primary care and SDM, including patients, clinicians, researchers and policy makers. The survey consisted of two parts; one part focussing on the role of the GP and the other on the role of the specialised oncology nurse. For this study we only used data of the GP related questions. The survey started with a selection question ensuring that the respondent has or had cancer and eight general questions about patient- and disease characteristics. Hereafter, ten questions addressing the patient’s personal needs for GP involvement in cancer care were posed. These questions covered 2