Ietje Perfors

29 GP involvement in general Of all respondents, 59% (N=2,804) expressed a need for GP involvement in cancer care any time after diagnosis (Table 2). GP involvement in cancer care was experienced by 79% (N=2,193) of these respondents. A relatively high need for GP involvement was reported by women (women: 64%; men: 52%). An unmet need was also seen more often in women (need met in women: 77%; men: 82%). A relatively high need for GP involvement was reported by patients with lung, oesophageal and gynaecologic cancer (68-69%), versus other cancers (47-64%). A relatively small proportion of (former) patients with breast and gynaecologic cancer experienced GP involvement (74-76%), compared to other cancers (78-88%). Respondents who indicated “will probably not be cured” reported relatively high need of GP involvement (66%) compared to those who indicated to be “cured” (55%). The latter group reported a relatively high unmet need (need met in 75% vs. 85%). Quotes in Box 1 illustrate the (absence of) a need and unmet need for GP involvement in cancer care. GP involvement in SDM Table 3 shows the need for GP involvement in SDM of cancer treatment and whether this actually happened. Eighty-two percent (N=3,724) of the respondents expressed that their GP should listen to their worries and considerations about the diagnosis, treatment and its consequences. This actually happened in 47% (N=1,744) of these cases. The majority of the respondents expressed that the GP should: “check understanding of information” 69% (N=3,310), “discuss patient’s priorities in life and the consequences of treatment options for these priorities” 66% (N=3,006), and “explain importance of patient’s opinion in decision” 67% (N=3,045). This actually happened in respectively 17% (N=542), 15% (N=461) and 10% (N=294) of these cases. In all subgroups, the need for GP involvement in the SDM process was high. However, this need remained largely unmet for vital SDM steps, especially in respondents older than 65, in those with low education, in those with breast, bladder, gynaecologic, haematological cancers, or colon cancer and 2