Ph.d. forsvar: Christina Sadolin Damhus

ABSTRACT

Since 2012 there has been a cancer patient pathway in Denmark for patients with non-specific symptoms of serious disease (the diagnostic pathway). This means that patients with symptoms such as fatigue, unexplained weight loss or pain can be referred to a fast-track diagnostic work-up of cancer.
In 2016, Region Zealand was criticised for referring fewer patients to the diagnostic pathway than the remaining four regions and this was likely due to an inappropriate organisation. However, does fewer pathways means worse outcomes for the patients?

In this PhD project, I have investigated the implementation, diagnostic outcomes and the people living beyond the diagnostic pathway applying both quantitative and qualitative research methods. In short, this project does not indicate that the organisation of the diagnostic pathway in Region Zealand led to worse outcomes for the patients than in the other regions. However, this PhD project revealed that the diagnostic pathway was not set-up for evaluation at the time of implementation which
challenged the measurement and comparison of different diagnostic modalities within a Danish context.

Assessment Committee:
Associate professor Mads Kamper Jørgensen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Camilla Hoffmann Merrild
Professor Georgios Lyratzopoulos

Supervisors:
Professor John Brodersen
Professor Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton
Head of Unit Klaus Kaae Andersen
External Associate Professor Volkert Dirk Siersma

Department:
Department of Public Health

Graduate Programme:
Public Health and Epidemiology

Ask for a copy of the thesis: chda@sund.ku.dk 

The defence will be followed by a reception at Øster Farimagsgade 5 Opgang R, stuen