An educational approach to improving physician breast cancer screening practices and counseling skills.
A multifaceted, individualized, physician education program designed to increase the breast cancer screening practices of community-based primary care physicians is described and the results are evaluated. Community-based surveys identified primary care providers with breast cancer screening educational needs who were assigned, using a factorial design, to an intervention or control condition. The sample included 154 control and 128 intervention physicians. The intervention consisted of a 1-2h in-office training program and/or self-study workbook. Self-reported overall breast cancer screening need scores improved for a greater proportion of intervention than control physicians, particularly those receiving the in-office intervention (P=0.03). Clinical breast examination (CBE) need declined (P=0.01); use of provider reminder systems increased (P=0.02); preparedness to counsel about CBE (P=0.04) and recognition that age is an important risk factor for breast cancer (P=0.02) improved in more intervention compared to control physicians.
Lane
D S
DS
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, SUNY at Stony Brook, 11794-8437, USA. dlane@dean.som.sunysb.edu
Messina
C R
CR
Grimson
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R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012017:Referral and Consultation