Cancer Control Research
1R01CA076386-01A2
Fox, Sarah A.
INCREASING SCREENING ADHERENCE THROUGH A PHYSICIAN TRIAL
Abstract
DESCRIPTION (adapted from investigator's abstract): Certain cancer screening
tests are effective in early detection, most notably, the tests used for
breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. These tests, all of which are
endorsed by the US Preventive Task Force for women over age 50, include
mammography, clinical breast exam (CBE), pap smear, and fecal occult blood test
(FOBT). In spite of widespread endorsement by credible sources, many women do
not systematically receive these tests, especially if they are older women and
Hispanic older women. As recently as 1996 in a Los Angeles County study, 58
percent of women aged 60-64, and only 25 percent of those who were Hispanic,
reported adherence with mammography screening. In 1997, in a different Los
Angeles study, only 32 percent of female patients aged 60-80 were adherent with
annual FOBT. Hispanic patients reported a 23 percent adherence rate. Since
older women are especially at risk for cancer with increasing age, these
screening rates are unnecessarily low.
The overall goal of this study is to increase the screening adherence of 60-80
year old women, especially Hispanic women. The investigators propose a
randomized trial involving a sample of primary care physicians drawn from 23
contiguous communities in Los Angeles County. The research design incorporates
a physician intervention that teaches physician communication and caring
skills. These skills have been identified as the most significant predictors of
mammography, CBE and FOBT adherence in previous studies conducted by the team.
The primary physician outcome measure will be changes in the reported
utilization of these skills, combined in the Physician Behavior Checklist (PBC)
measure that will be validated in this study. The PBC assesses the
effectiveness of the physician in facilitating adherence.
Long term objectives include: 1) develop, pre-test and implement a physician
intervention designed to increase physician use of PBC skills, 2) determine the
screening rates of female patients ages 60-80 and assess how these rates change
as a function of the intervention, 3) compare the intervention versus control
group to estimate the cost effectiveness ratio of the intervention relative to
the control group, and 4) evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed
intervention.
Few physician and patient communication and relationship skills have been
directly linked to patient outcomes such as cancer screening adherence. A brief
validated patient measure (for use across medical settings in English and
Spanish) such as the PBC will be an important contribution to public health
policy. Finally, the physician intervention that is proposed for testing is
efficient, feasible, and exportable.
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