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Towards a social network-inspired model for improving medical referrals in cancer care

Summary

This project is aimed at understanding how general practitioners (GP) tap into their professional network for making cancer patient referrals to appropriate specialist units. The social and professional setting a GP works in have important implications for the referrals he or she makes and is as important as a treatment decision. Often, early detection of symptoms of cancer tumours leads to effective mediation provided that correct referrals are made. However, this is usually not the case and this project addresses this aspect of coordination of care.

Supervisor

Dr Kenneth Chung.

Research location

Project Management

Program type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

Timely medical referrals, in many cases, are as important as the clinical decisions in the process of cancer care coordination because of the rate of growth of cancerous tumours. This project uses a social network-based model to understand how professional and social networks of general practitioners influence medical referrals for cancer care.

Additional information

Collaborators: Prof. Jane Young (Sydney School of Public Health) and Prof. Kate White (Sydney Nursing School)

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 1473

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