title: Assessment of colorectal cancer knowledge and patient attitudes towards screening: is Ireland ready to embrace colon cancer screening?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The level of awareness among the Irish public regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) remains uncertain. This study aimed to characterise CRC knowledge levels among a cohort of Irish patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey evaluating CRC knowledge levels was distributed among outpatients at a gastroenterology clinic in a Dublin teaching hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 472 surveys were distributed of which 465 (98.5%) were returned. Twenty-nine percent of respondents correctly judged CRC to be the commonest cause of cancer death among the options provided while 26% correctly judged the lifetime risk of CRC; 59% underestimated and 15% overestimated the risk. Most patients (91%) were willing to pay 300 euros for a prompt colonoscopy if recommended by their physician while 7% opted to wait 6 months for a free colonoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a willingness to embrace CRC screening and to shoulder some of the financial burden that this entails.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Beaumont Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. harewood.gavin@gmail.com
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Harewood
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patchett
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prabakaran
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Yeen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Flynn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McNally
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires