Breast screening: GPs' beliefs, attitudes and practices

We aimed to describe GPs' knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards breast screening, and their association with practice-based organizations of breast screening.

A stratified randomized sample of 158 GPs from within the North-East and North-West Thames Health Regions were interviewed.

Sixty-five per cent of GPs report checking the accuracy of invitation lists, and differ from those who do not, in having more knowledge about risk factors for breast cancer. Thirty-seven per cent of GPs report a policy of following up non-attendees for screening and differ from those who do not in three ways: a greater perception of the threat of breast cancer; a greater belief in the importance of GPs' role in increasing attendance of women for breast screening; and, a less-negative attitude towards breast screening.

Women's attendance for breast screening may be increased by raising GPs' perceptions of the threat of breast cancer, addressing their concerns about breast screening and enhancing their views of the importance of the role of primary care in a national screening programme.