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Discussions About Prostate Cancer Screening Between U.S. Primary Care Physicians and Their Patients

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Abstract

Objective

This study examined the likelihood that U.S. primary care physicians (PCPs) discuss and recommend prostate cancer screening with their patients and physician-related and practice-related factors associated with this behavior.

Methods

We analyzed data from the 2007–2008 National Survey of Primary Care Physician Practices Regarding Prostate Cancer Screening (N = 1,256), the most recent and comprehensive survey specifically designed to address issues concerning prostate cancer screening and representing nearly 95,000 PCPs. We evaluated the relationship between PCP behavior regarding prostate cancer screening discussions and covariates, including PCP demographic and practice-related factors. Weighted percentages and Chi-square tests were used to compare use of screening discussions by PCP characteristics. Adjusted odds of discussing screening and recommending the PSA test were determined from logistic regression.

Results

Eighty percent of PCPs reported that they routinely discuss prostate cancer screening with all of their male patients, and 64.1% of PCPs who discussed screening with any patients reported that they attempted to talk their patients into getting the PSA test. In multivariate analyses, encouraging PSA testing was more likely among non-Hispanic black PCPs (OR = 2.80, 95% CI [1.88, 4.16]), PCPs serving 100 or more patients per week (OR = 2.16, 95% CI [1.38, 3.37]), and PCPs spending longer hours per week in direct patient care (31–40 hours: OR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.13, 3.20]; 41 or more hours: OR = 2.09, 95% CI [1.12, 3.88]), compared to their referents. PCPs in multi-specialty group practice were more likely to remain neutral or discourage PSA testing compared to PCPs in solo practice.

Conclusions

Both individual and practice-related factors of PCPs were associated with the use of prostate cancer screening discussions by U.S. PCPs. Results from this study may prove valuable to researchers and clinicians and help guide the development and implementation of future prostate cancer screening interventions in the U.S.

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Acknowledgements

1)Contributors: All contributors are listed as co-authors

2)Funders: This work was funded by the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

3)Prior presentations: Hall IJ, Ross LE, Richardson LC, Taylor YJ. Primary Care Physicians’ Discussions about Prostate Cancer Screening. Poster presented at NIH Summit on Health Disparities, National Harbor, MD, December, 2008

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Ingrid J. Hall PhD, MPH, Lisa C. Richardson MD, MPH, Thomas B. Richards MD & Sun Hee Rim MPH

  2. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Yhenneko J. Taylor MS

  3. Ross-Holmes Group LLC, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Louie E. Ross PhD

Authors
  1. Ingrid J. Hall PhD, MPH
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  2. Yhenneko J. Taylor MS
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  3. Louie E. Ross PhD
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  4. Lisa C. Richardson MD, MPH
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  5. Thomas B. Richards MD
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  6. Sun Hee Rim MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ingrid J. Hall PhD, MPH.

Additional information

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Hall, I.J., Taylor, Y.J., Ross, L.E. et al. Discussions About Prostate Cancer Screening Between U.S. Primary Care Physicians and Their Patients. J GEN INTERN MED 26, 1098–1104 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1682-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1682-0

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