Variations in approaches to breast cancer screening among primary care physicians.
BACKGROUND
Guidelines for breast cancer screening often provide conflicting recommndations.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine approaches to cancer screening among primary care physicians.


RESULTS
Among the 187 respondents, levels of agreement with the "correct" response ranged between 50% and 73% for each of the four items relating to breast cancer screening; only 42% of physicians demonstrated agreement with three or more of the four items. Physician gender, specialty group, and age category were significant predictors of responses.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the need to implement educational interventions as one means of decreasing variation in breast cancer screening.
Symons
Andrew B
AB
Department of Family Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
Mahoney
Martin C
MC
Englert
Jessica
J
Mirand
Amy L
AL
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012737:Sex Factors; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States