The role of primary care practitioners in cancer control in South Africa: a systems-based case study

Aim Cancer care has largely been the domain of oncology specialists. With increased awareness of the importance of primary care in the context of universal health coverage, there has been a shift to explore the role of primary care in comprehensive cancer management. This includes health promotion, screening, diagnosing, referral to oncology services, and longitudinal care that includes co-ordination of care, survivorship, and palliative care. This paper focuses on the role of primary care practitioners in health promotion, early detection and care co-ordination. Nurses and doctors who work in primary care are included as primary care practitioners. Methods Using a patient vignette narrative tool, the triad of patient empowerment in the form of enhanced health literacy, clinical competence, and system effectiveness, are discussed as the basis for early cancer detection. A complex intervention to improve primary-level cancer care and the implications thereof for the important role of care co-ordination undertaken by primary care practitioners, is also presented. Findings For effective patient assessment, primary care practitioners must be trained in screening and diagnostic techniques as part of their clinical competencies as generalists. These competencies include risk identification, counselling skills, expert clinical examination, interpretation of basic x-rays, minor surgical skills, interpreting blood tests, and point-of-care ultrasound. Against a backdrop of ongoing budget constraints, consumables and equipment needed for diagnosis should be readily available and referral pathways for patients and specimens should be clearly defined and resourced. Conclusions Primary care practitioners in community-based facilities are well-placed to engage with the psychosociocultural dimensions of care. The SA health system places primary care at the point of closest contact with communities. Efficient care pathways are needed by primary care practitioners to adopt the role of care co-ordinator when patients with suspected or confirmed cancer enter these pathways. When considered alongside the overburdened primary care patient-load and the ever-increasing mix of co-morbidities, the complexity of primary care is appreciated. Understanding the complexities of primary care in the context of cancer control is an important component of a holistic cancer control programme.