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An audit of all prostate‐specific antigen tests requested by non‐urologists in a 1‐year period in a district general hospital
Author(s) -
James Nicola,
James Michael Jonathan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international journal of urological nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.184
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1749-771X
pISSN - 1749-7701
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-771x.2007.00018.x
Subject(s) - medicine , audit , prostate specific antigen , test (biology) , prostate cancer , family medicine , primary care , secondary care , general surgery , gynecology , cancer , paleontology , management , economics , biology
There has been much debate and controversy about prostate cancer screening and the use and abuse of the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) test. Much of this debate is centred around primary care. It was noticed that increasing numbers of men admitted to secondary care, as patients of non‐urologists in a district general hospital, were having their PSA tested. A retrospective audit of all PSA tests requested during a 1‐year period was undertaken by a practicing clinical nurse specialist and consultant urologist. The reasons for the requests for the test were examined along with the implications of the results. The results showed that many PSA tests were requested without clinical indication or understanding of prostate cancer, without the patient’s knowledge or consent and without a clear interpretation of the results. Moreover, some patients who tested positive did not receive the appropriate investigations or treatment, thereby putting them at risk. This audit has shown a need for guidelines to be developed for PSA testing in the secondary care setting to complement those already in use in primary care.