RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Barriers and Facilitators to Informed Decision-Making About Prostate Cancer Screening Among Black Men
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 925
OP 936
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210149
VO 34
IS 5
A1 Nicholas Shungu
A1 Katherine R. Sterba
YR 2021
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/34/5/925.abstract
AB Background: Black men are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer (PrCa). Current guidelines recommend that all men make informed decisions about whether to be screened for PrCa. Little is known about the barriers and facilitators of informed decision-making (IDM) about PrCa screening in Black men.Methods: We conducted focus groups with a convenience sample of Black men aged 55 to 69 years from a primary care practice (n = 21). Template analysis was used to evaluate themes related to barriers and facilitators of IDM about PrCa screening.Results: IDM was impacted by external factors, intrinsic factors, and personal beliefs about PrCa screening. Family, friends, and clinicians played a paramount role in shaping attitudes about PrCa screening. Distrust of the medical community impaired IDM, and lack of clinician communication about PrCa screening further engendered mistrust. Participants felt they lacked adequate knowledge to make an informed decision about PrCa screening. Identified areas to promote IDM included education on racial disparities, education that screening is a personal choice, and differentiating PrCa screening from colon cancer screening.Conclusions: Our results indicate that Black men may lack the prerequisite information to make informed decisions about PrCa screening, which is notable in light of known PrCa racial disparities. Clinicians can play an important role in facilitating IDM through fostering discussions about the benefits and risks of PrCa screening and educating Black men about racial disparities.