title: The attitudes of primary care providers towards screening for colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  the scientific community supports the appropriateness of colorectal cancer screening, and there is consensus on the need to raise awareness about the significance of prevention among both health care professionals and the population. The goal was to record the attitude of primary care providers towards colorectal cancer screening, as well as the main barriers to both patient and provider participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  a cross-sectional, observational study was performed of 511 professionals in Albacete Health District. Variables included views on screening effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, acceptance by providers and patients, barriers to participation, frequency of prevention recommendations, and education needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  most (76 %) considered screening was effective; 85 % said acceptance of fecal occult blood testing was intermediate or high, and 68.2 % this is also the case for colonoscopy when needed; 71.9 % would recommend screening should a population-based program be implemented (currently only 9.7 % recommends this). Correspondence analysis revealed that recommendation is more common when assigned populations are smaller.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  most providers consider screening is both effective and acceptable for patients. In today´s situation, where screening is only performed in an opportunistic manner, the proportion of professionals who commonly recommend screening for the mid-risk population is low, especially when assigned populations are huge.
authors: Jesús
authors: J
authors: López-Torres-Hidalgo
authors: María José
authors: MJ
authors: Simarro-Herráez
authors: Joseba
authors: J
authors: Rabanales-Sotos
authors: Ramona
authors: R
authors: Campos-Rosa
authors: Belén
authors: B
authors: de-la-Ossa-Sendra
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Carrasco-Ortiz
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires