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Published on: August 1, 2019
Colorectal cancer screening by primary care physicians in Texas: a rural-urban comparison
S T Hawley1, L Foxhall, S W Vernon
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. stropman@bcm.tmc.edu
Background:
Little is known about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices of primary care physicians (PCPs) in rural versus urban locations.
Methods:
The authors surveyed 3,380 PCP members of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), stratified by specialty and rural/urban status. Factors associated with PCPs' self-reported practices of CRC screening by fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and/or flexible sigmoidoscopy (SIG) were examined using chi-square tests and multivariate regression.
Results:
Over 80% of both rural and urban PCPs reported CRC screening with the FOBT, while 70% reported screening with SIG. Many reported doing FOBTs in the office versus using the take-home kit. Variations were found in recommended ages and screening intervals among all respondents.
Conclusions:
Geographic location was less important than knowledge and attitudes in predicting PCPs' CRC screening practices. More specific education regarding CRC screening guidelines needs to be directed towards all PCPs.
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