title: Physician characteristics and beliefs associated with use of pelvic examinations in asymptomatic women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine physicians' beliefs about the pelvic examination and identify physician characteristics associated with routine use of this procedure in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1250 United States family/general practitioners, internists, and obstetrician/gynecologists who participated in the 2009 DocStyles survey completed questions on beliefs regarding the utility of routine pelvic examinations for cancer screening. The survey also asked participants how often they performed this procedure as part of a well-woman exam, to screen for ovarian and other gynecologic cancers, to screen for sexually transmitted infections, and as a prerequisite for prescribing hormonal contraception.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 68.0% of obstetrician/gynecologists, 39.2% of family/general practitioners, and 18.7% of internists reported routinely performing pelvic examinations for all the purposes examined (<0.001). Adjusted analyses revealed that the factors most strongly associated with use of pelvic examinations for all purposes were being an obstetrician/gynecologist (odds ratio 8.5; 95% confidence interval 5.8-12.6) and believing that this procedure is useful to screen for gynecologic cancers (odds ratio 3.8; 95% confidence interval 2.6-5.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Misconceptions about the utility of pelvic examinations to screen for gynecologic cancers are common. More effective strategies to change physicians' beliefs regarding the value of performing pelvic examinations in asymptomatic women are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA. uxr6@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Analía Romina
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Stormo
authors.forename: Crystale Purvis
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Nikki A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saraiya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006123:Group Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058869:Gynecological Examination / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data