[Translated article] The computer application “SCAE” in the early diagnosis of musculoskeletal cancer in the healthcare area of the “Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre”. Analysis of its effectiveness and proposals for improvement

The SCAE-SM (Request for an Appointment in Specialized Care-Suspicion of Malignancy) computer application is a tool available to Primary Care physicians for the referral of patients who should be evaluated by the specialist in a maximum period of 2 weeks when malignancy is suspected. The objective o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista española de cirugía ortopédica y traumatología 2022-07, Vol.66 (4), p.T290-T297
Main Authors: Arroyo-Hernández, M., Casas-Ramos, P., Saldaña-Díaz, A., Mellado-Romero, M.A., Puertas-García-Sandoval, J.P., Ortiz-Cruz, E.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cáncer musculoesquelético
Diagnóstico precoz
Early diagnostic
Musculoskeletal cancer
Referral pathway
Ruta de derivación
Sarcoma
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Summary:The SCAE-SM (Request for an Appointment in Specialized Care-Suspicion of Malignancy) computer application is a tool available to Primary Care physicians for the referral of patients who should be evaluated by the specialist in a maximum period of 2 weeks when malignancy is suspected. The objective of our work was to analyze the usefulness of this tool and propose areas for improvement in the management of patients with suspected musculoskeletal malignancy. A descriptive cross-sectional study of 235 referrals received in the years 2012–2017 was carried out. Their origin, the information contained in the applications and the response provided by historical evaluators, without specific oncology training, were analyzed. For this study, a new blind assessment of all applications was carried out by 13 orthopedists with different levels of specific training in musculoskeletal oncology (re-evaluators). Among all SCAE-SM, only 8.23% of patients had aggressive benign or malignant disease. The most successful re-evaluators in the adequacy of early appointment were those with moderate oncological training (5–10 years of experience). During the study, of all the patients treated in the Tumor Unit, only 18.81% accessed through the SCAE-SM circuit, with a mean waiting time of 18.11 days from the PC referral. The SCAE-SM computer application as tool for improve the management and advance care for patients with malignant musculoskeletal tumor pathology is useful, although the use of the circuit is inadequate. It is necessary to disseminate and generalize it, as well as to implement basic oncology training programs both in the field of Primary Care and Hospital. La aplicación informática Solicitud de Cita en Atención Especializada-Sospecha de Malignidad (SCAE-SM) es una herramienta informática de la que disponen los médicos de atención primaria (AP) para la derivación de pacientes que deban ser valorados por el especialista en un plazo máximo de 2 semanas, cuando se sospeche de una enfermedad maligna. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue analizar la utilidad de esta herramienta, y proponer áreas de mejora en la gestión de los pacientes con sospecha de malignidad musculoesquelética. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal de las 235 derivaciones recibidas en los años 2012-2017. Se analizó su procedencia, la información contenida en las solicitudes y la respuesta proporcionada por evaluadores históricos (facultativos traumatólogos sin formación específica oncológica). Par
ISSN:1888-4415
1988-8856
DOI:10.1016/j.recot.2021.05.010