What is it about?
Factors related to oral cancer diagnostic delay were investigated and compared to the delay prior to the opening access to health care services by the achievement of Thailand universal health coverage (UHC).
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Why is it important?
The study results revealed that although patients had more open access to healthcare services that helped reduce some of the factors associated with diagnostic delay, lack of patient knowledge and awareness leading to obscure self-risk and an increase in patient delay, misunderstandings about the role of herbal medication and modern treatment still were issues that needed to be corrected. Professional delay was mostly due to lack of knowledge of primary health care workers (HCPs).
Perspectives
This article reveal needs to improved both patient's and professional's knowledge about oral cancer. The reduction of access being a barrier by the implementation of the UHC and its influence on factors related to OSCC diagnostic delay might also be true for other cancers. If there was a similar UHC scheme in other countries, the same results may be found.
Dr DUANGPORN KERDPON
Prince of Songkla University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Factors related to diagnostic delay of oral squamous cell carcinoma in southern Thailand: Revisited, Oral Diseases, September 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/odi.12757.
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