A national survey of primary care physicians' colorectal cancer screening recommendations and practices.
BACKGROUND
National data on providers' colorectal cancer (CRC) screening knowledge, attitudes, and practices are sparse. This study assessed primary care physicians' (PCPs') beliefs about the effectiveness of CRC screening, their recommendations for screening, their perceptions of the influence of published guidelines on their CRC screening recommendations, and how they conduct CRC screening in their clinical practices.


METHODS
A questionnaire was administered to a nationally representative sample of practicing PCPs. Of 1718 eligible physicians, 1235 (72%) responded.


RESULTS
Only 2% of PCPs said they did not recommend CRC screening. Over 80% indicated that they most often recommend CRC screening with fecal occult blood testing and/or flexible sigmoidoscopy, although colonoscopy was perceived as the more effective screening modality. Nearly two-thirds of obstetrician/gynecologists and one-fourth of other practitioners reported conducting fecal occult blood testing exclusively by digital rectal exam. Only 29% of PCPs said they perform sigmoidoscopy. Estimated volumes of ordering, performing, or referring for CRC screening were low, and <20% reported that three-fourths or more of their older patients were up to date with CRC screening as recommended by the physician. Many PCPs reported recommending CRC screening at nonstandard starting ages or too-frequent intervals.


CONCLUSIONS
Awareness of CRC screening among PCPs in the United States is high. However, knowledge gaps about the timing and frequency of screening and suboptimal screening delivery were evident.
Klabunde
Carrie N
CN
Health Services and Economics Branch, Applied Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. ck97b@nih.gov
Frame
Paul S
PS
Meadow
Ann
A
Jones
Elizabeth
E
Nadel
Marion
M
Vernon
Sally W
SW
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States