Comparison of survey design and methodologies used by the National Audit of Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care,15 and the Cancer Patient Experience Survey 20108
| National audit of cancer diagnosis in primary care | Cancer patient experience survey | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Patients with cancer in participating practices (about 14% of all English practices) | Patients with cancer across England |
| Sampling frame | Patients with new diagnosis of cancer during audited period (2009–2010) | Patients attending an NHS hospital for cancer treatment Jan–Mar 2010 (many of these cases have been diagnosed before the survey period) |
| Sample representativeness | Aimed to include all patients eligible for inclusion in the audit with minimal attrition (independently of survival length) | Only about two-thirds (67%) of all patients in the original sampling frame participated in the survey—after exclusion of people who had died, that is, patients with only short-term survival were likely to be a priori excluded |
| Method of outcome ascertainment | Case note review by general practitioner or other primary care professional (eg, practice nurse) | Patients responding to a specific survey question |
NHS, National Health Service.