Primary care referral patterns for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients: A multistate study.

e16626 Background: Cancer patients in late adolescence and young adulthood may be referred for treatment to either pediatric or medical oncologists; research is exploring the impact of specialty and treatment regimen on outcomes. Recognizing the role of the initial referral decision by the primary care physician (PCP), we sought to determine physician and patient factors that influence referral patterns of AYA oncology patients. Methods: Surveys were mailed to 1129 PCPs: 50% pediatricians, 50% non-pediatricians with representative distribution of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Practice, Emergency Medicine, Gynecology in North Carolina (NC) and Washington (WA). PCPs provided demographics, then reviewed hypothetical patient vignettes that independently varied 8 patient factors by fractional factorial design: age (13-22), gender, diagnosis, race, social support, insurance, transportation, patient preference for site of care, and denoted to whom (pediatric or non-pediatric oncologist) they would ...