When physicians get screened for CRC, so do their patients
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Individuals are more likely to participate in colorectal cancer screening if their family physician has undergone screening, according to study results.
Amit X. Garg, MD, PhD, of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Western University in Canada, and colleagues wrote in Gastroenterology that physicians play an important role in CRC screening uptake, and patients are much more likely to undergo screening if their doctor discusses it with them.
“Further, a physician’s own decision to be screened may influence screening in their patients,” they wrote. “While most physicians believe that colorectal cancer screening is beneficial, data on physicians’ own screening comes largely from self-reported surveys which may be limited by social desirability and recall biases.”
Researchers conducted a population-based study to determine how physician screening rates affect screening rates among their patients. They collected data from residents of Ontario, Canada, with average risk for CRC aged 52 to 74 years (n = 45,736). The also obtained a list of all registered physicians in the province (n = 11,434) and matched them with patients based on age, sex and location.
Investigators defined uptake of colorectal tests as record of fecal occult blood test in the past 2 years, flexible sigmoidoscopy in the past 5 years or colonoscopy in the past 10 years.
Garg and colleagues found that the uptake of colorectal tests was 67.9% among physicians (95% CI, 67-68.7) and 66.6% among patients (95% CI, 66.2-67.1). Compared with patients, physicians were less likely to undergo fecal occult blood testing (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.42-0.47) and more likely to undergo colonoscopy (PR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.22-1.26).
Uptake of colorectal screening by a family physician was associated with greater uptake among their patients (adjusted PR = 1.1; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12).
Garg and colleagues wrote that if physicians are comfortable enough to share that they were screened, it could go a long way in motivating their patients to do the same.
“Conversely, many physicians report difficulty counseling patients about behaviors they do not practice themselves,” they wrote. “Given the clear benefits of colorectal cancer screening, programs that promote greater screening in physicians warrant consideration.” – by Alex Young
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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