Clinician nudge at suspected ovarian cancer diagnosis improves oncology referral rate

A clinician nudge for referral to a gynecologic oncologist at the time of suspected ovarian cancer diagnosis improved referral rates by 20 percentage points, according to study results.

Nearly a third of clinicians who received the nudges said they would not have made the referrals without them, data presented at Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer showed.

“We want to make sure that ovarian cancer is diagnosed as soon as possible, so that women have the best chance at successful treatment and longer survival,” Anna Jo Smith, MD, MPH, assistant professor of gynecologic oncology at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, told Healio. “Timely referral to gynecologic oncology for suspected ovarian cancer is associated with increased rates of evidence-based care and improved survival.”