Evaluating the impact of ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ awareness campaigns on GP attendances

Abstract

BackgroundThe ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ awareness campaigns aim to raise awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people with these symptoms to ‘tell their doctor’. GP attendances are therefore a key metric for evaluating the impact of a campaign. We considered the impact on GP attendances of several campaigns since 2013, including the 2015 national oesophagogastric cancer campaign, the 2016 national respiratory symptoms campaign and campaigns for lung cancer, ‘blood in pee’, and breast cancer in women aged >70 years.AimTo consider the impact on GP attendances of several campaigns since 2013, including the 2015 national oesophagogastric cancer campaign, the 2016 national respiratory symptoms campaign and others.MethodData on the weekly numbers of GP attendances and practices were extracted from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. For patients reporting campaign symptoms or a control symptom (back pain), the average number of GP attendances per practice per week was calculated. Analysis considered the trend in GP attendances, calculated the change in attendances for the campaign period compared to the same period in an earlier year, and assessed this change using a χ2 test.ResultsThe 2015 oesophagogastric cancer campaign, resulted in a statistically significant 29% increase (P<0.001) in the number of attendances for symptoms of dyspepsia and dysphagia, compared with the same period in 2013. Conversely, there was no significant change in attendances for back pain. Results for other campaigns will be presented.ConclusionThe THIN database has provided primary care data which can be used to assess the impact of awareness campaigns on primary care activity. Results demonstrate increases in GP attendances following some of the campaigns, suggesting that some patients responded to the campaigns’ call to action.