Characteristics and Responses from 30 Maryland Primary Care Clinicians on Decision Making about Colorectal Cancer Surveillance in Older Patients with Prior Adenomas (Data Collection October 2018 to May 2019)
Characteristics | No. (%) or Mean (SD) |
---|---|
Age, years | 48.2 (10.0) |
Female sex | 16 (53%) |
Race | |
White | 18 (60%) |
African American | 6 (20%) |
Other | 6 (20%) |
Degree | |
Physician | 24 (80%) |
Certified registered nurse practitioner | 5 (17%) |
Physician's assistant | 1 (3%) |
Years since completing training | 17.5 (10.2) |
Specialty | |
Internal medicine | 17 (57%) |
Family medicine | 6 (20%) |
Medicine/pediatrics | 2 (7%) |
Geriatrics | 5 (17%) |
Clinic site | |
Urban | 13 (43%) |
Suburban | 17 (57%) |
Clinic type | |
Clinics affiliated with academic university | 8 (27%) |
Clinics within a large group practice | 14 (47%) |
Solo clinics | 5 (17%) |
House-call program for homebound patients | 1 (3%) |
Program for all-inclusive care of the elderly | 2 (7%) |
Proportion of patients ≥65 years old in patient panel | |
<25% | 7 (23%) |
25% to 49% | 13 (43%) |
50% to 74% | 4 (13%) |
>75% | 6 (20%) |
Decision-making approach regarding surveillance in older patients with prior adenomas* | |
Deferred to GI | 12 (40%) |
Discussed with patient and/or GI to make decision together | 5 (17%) |
Described stopping surveillance based on patient age, comorbidities, or life expectancy | 7 (23%) |
Favored continued surveillance | 1 (3%) |
Decision depended on specific patient characteristics | 3 (10%) |
GI, gastroenterology; SD, standard deviation.
↵* Two participants did not give direct responses about decision making around surveillance colonoscopies in the interviews.