A doctor close at hand: How GPs view their role in cancer care

Figures & data

Table I. Participants.

Interviewed GPs	Gender	Place of practice	Years as GP
GP 1	Female	Rural	6
GP 2	Female	Rural	21
GP 3	Male	Rural	27
GP 4	Male	Rural	25
GP 5	Male	Small town	14
GP 6	Male	Small town	5
GP 7	Male	Rural	28
GP 8	Female	Rural	10
GP 9	Male	City	8
GP10	Male	Rural	1
GP11	Male	Rural	13
GP12	Male	Rural	6
GP13	Female	Rural	5
GP14	Female	Small town	22

Table II. Interview guide.

Before turning on the tape recorder:

The interviewer should try to create an atmosphere that promotes a collegial, mutual exploration of the questions. Be open and honest; put the interview guide on the table. The doctor should feel like a privileged, professional, principal character who is asked for her opinion. Do not hesitate to ask what the GP feels about being interviewed.

Main question:

Tell the patient's history and how you were involved.

Subsidiary questions:

How were you, and the patient, informed about the diagnosis?

How did you perceive your own role, after the diagnosis?

Who did what during the treatment period, and how was the division of tasks resolved?

Describe your cooperation with hospital, cancer nurse, district nurses, and nursing home.

Does the patient have other illnesses? Any previous medications?

Describe your relationship to the patient and the family.

In your conversations with the patient, what did you talk about? Was death a topic?

What is your role when the patient is facing death?

How have you learned your knowledge about cancer care?

How do you get advice when needed? Any guidelines that have been useful?

Is there anything that you have missed that could have helped you in caring for this patient?

Experiences from other patients with cancer that could be important for this research?

Tell me about a dilemma that you have felt in cancer care.

Have you experienced that you had to limit your involvement in cancer care?

Table III. Three aspects of GPs’ work in cancer care.

	Efficient – handyman	Flexible – intermediary	Touched – companion
Tasks	First aid	Interpreter	Supporter
	Secretary	Advocate	Guide
	Team worker	Second opinion	Consoler
	Corner shop
Tools	Learning by doing	Asking for advice	Offering time
	Prioritizing	Staying accessible	Respecting wishes
	Planning ahead	Being comprehensive	Adjusting

Table IV. Levels of analysis.

Unit of meaning	Condensed	Code	Preliminary category	Aspect	Subaspect
GP 1, line 102: He got it here, locally, once a week. To save him from the journey to the hospital; they asked us to do it.	Weekly cytostatic by GP, to avoid traveling	Giving cytostatic locally	Decentralized treatment	Practical tasks	Corner shop
GP 2, line 447: I think it was right the way it was done (by the hospital), but it had to be explained to the patient that it was done right.	Prove the hospital right and explain to patient	Mediate clinical decisions	Mediating between hospital and patient	Mediating tasks	Second opinion Interpreter