Perceived colonoscopy barriers and facilitators among urban African American patients and their medical residents.
African Americans suffer from higher colorectal cancer morbidity and mortality than do Whites, yet have the lowest screening rates. To understand barriers and facilitators to colorectal cancer screening, this study used perceptual mapping (multidimensional scaling) methods to compare patients' perceptions of colonoscopy and general preventive health practices to those of their doctors in a general internal medicine clinic in a large urban hospital. African American patients (n = 102) were surveyed about their own screening beliefs; third-year resident physicians (n = 29) were asked what they perceived their patients believed. The perceptual maps showed significant differences between the patients' and physicians' perceptions of barriers, facilitators, and beliefs about screening. Physicians believed logistical lifestyle issues were the greatest screening barriers for their patients whereas fears of complications, pain, and cancer were the most important barriers perceived by patients. Physicians also underestimated patients' understanding of the benefits and importance of screening, doctors' recommendations, and beliefs that faith in God could facilitate screening. Physicians and patients perceived a doctor's recommendation for screening was an important facilitator. Better understanding of patient perceptions can be used to improve doctor-patient communication and to improve medical resident training by incorporating specific messages tailored for use with African American patients.
Department of Health Services, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA. dgr@sju.edu
Dominique G
DG
Ruggieri
Sarah Bauerle
SB
Bass
Michael J
MJ
Rovito
Stephanie
S
Ward
Thomas F
TF
Gordon
Anuradha
A
Paranjape
Karen
K
Lin
Brian
B
Meyer
Lilitha
L
Parameswaran
Caitlin
C
Wolak
Johnson
J
Britto
Sheryl B
SB
Ruzek
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data