title: Obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge and opinions about the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) committee, the Women's Health Amendment, and the Affordable Care Act: national study after the release of the USPSTF 2009 Breast Cancer Screening Recommendation Statement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the knowledge and opinions of obstetrician and gynecologists (ob-gyns) regarding the USPSTF committee and statement, and to assess their reactions to healthcare legislation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national cross-sectional survey study of ob-gyns was conducted six months after a controversial USPSTF recommendation statement was released in November 2009. Ob-gyns' opinions about the Women's Health Amendment (WHA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 54% of ob-gyns knew that the USPSTF recommendations do not represent the position of the U.S. government and 40% knew that the USPSTF is not comprised of federal employees. A majority (60%) thought that the USPSTF was influenced by potential costs more than guidelines should be. When examining ob-gyns opinions about new national health policies, 88% support the mammography coverage provided by the WHA but support for the ACA varied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a snapshot of ob-gyns' knowledge and opinions about the USPSTF and breast cancer screening guidelines at a controversial point in time. Our findings are a unique contribution to larger efforts to understand health and political policy as the culture of medicine continues to evolve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, USA. Electronic address: banderson@acog.org.
authors.forename: Britta L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Renata R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pearlman
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulkin
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D009774:Obstetrics; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Breast cancer; Conflicts of interest; Guidelines; Gynecologist; Mammography; Obstetrician; Recommendations; Screening; USPSTF