What Have Patients Been Hearing From Providers Since the 2012 USPSTF Recommendation Against Routine Prostate Cancer...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Public Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• Patient-provider communication (PC) regarding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests is increasingly important.
• Current guidelines recommend against routine PSA screening for prostate cancer (PCa).
• The impact of PC on PSA test uptake requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relationship between provider communication about PSA tests and PSA test uptake.
• To analyze how PC influences PSA screening behavior in the context of evolving guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4).
• Analyzed a nationally representative sample of US adults across three survey cycles (2011-2013).
• Employed logistic regression to assess the effect of PC on PSA test uptake.

Main Results:

• PC about PSA tests significantly increased the likelihood of patients undergoing PSA screening in all three cycles.
• Odds ratios ranged from 2.51 to 3.50, indicating a substantial effect.
• The positive association between PC and screening persisted despite guidelines against it.

Conclusions:

• Provider communication about PSA tests appears to drive increased screening rates.
• This effect may counteract recommendations from bodies like the US Preventive Services Task Force.
• There is a need for updated PC that balances risks and benefits to potentially moderate screening behavior.