Abstract
While patient barriers to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening have been identified, how well this knowledge is utilized during the patient–physician interaction is not fully understood. This study aims to assess among primary care physicians the degree of consensus between perceived and actual patients' CRC screening decision-making influential factors. During 2004–2006, 30 patients were interviewed to identify factors influencing screening decisions and 66 physicians were interviewed to understand what factors they thought were important to patients. The factors were categorized using the PRECEDE–PROCEED framework, and perspectives were compared. The researchers found little consensus on CRC screening decision-making influential factors between family practitioners, general internists, and patients. The recommendations to reach consensus are provided on the individual (e.g., updating the contents of a physician's screening recommendation to proactively address patients' decision-making needs) and population (e.g., providing cross-cultural training to medical students enabling them to better understand their patients) levels.
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Acknowledgements
The National Cancer Institute (R21CA102349 to SBW) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (R24HS01184503, Steve Fleming, Ph.D., P.I.) supported this work. The project was approved by the University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board (#03-0079-P1B). We acknowledge and thank Mark Eckman, M.D., Fredrick Michel, M.D., and Mary Barron, R.N., for the assistance with recruitment, Jane Peters, Ph.D. and April Morgan, M.A., for conducting the interviews, Michael Doukas, M.D., for his consultation, and Brian Stevenson, Ph.D., for the editorial comments. Last, but not the least, we wish to thank our interview participants.
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Tarasenko, Y.N., Wackerbarth, S.B., Love, M.M. et al. Colorectal Cancer Screening: Patients' and Physicians' Perspectives on Decision-Making Factors. J Canc Educ 26, 285–293 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-010-0145-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-010-0145-3