Table 1.
Primary Care Physician and Practice Characteristics
| N = 1,266 | |
|---|---|
| Weighted percentage* | |
| Physician background and experience | |
| Age | |
| <40 | 20.1 |
| 40-49 | 30.7 |
| 50-59 | 31.9 |
| ≥60 | 17.4 |
| % Male | 68.8 |
| % White, non-Hispanic | 72.1 |
| % Board certified | 80.2 |
| % international medical school graduate | 21.7 |
| Specialty | |
| Family Medicine/ General Practice | 45.2 |
| Internal Medicine | 36.9 |
| Obstetrics Gynecology | 17.9 |
| % with medical school affiliation | 35.1 |
| Practice environment and practice patterns | |
| Practice type | |
| Solo Practice | 26.0 |
| Single specialty group | 48.1 |
| Multi-specialty group | 23.3 |
| Other/Missing | 2.5 |
| US Census region of country | |
| North central | 23.1 |
| Northeast | 20.1 |
| South | 33.2 |
| West | 22.6 |
| Missing | 0.9 |
| Typical number of patients per week | |
| <76 | 34.9 |
| 76-100 | 32.4 |
| ≥101 | 32.7 |
| Record systems | |
| Paper charts | 56.2 |
| Partial EMR/transition to EMR | 26.0 |
| Full EMR | 17.8 |
| CRC screening tests ordered, referred or performed per month | |
| Low (<21) | 30.6 |
| Intermediate (21-<45) | 35.7 |
| High (45+) | 33.7 |
| Number of CRC screening modalities recommended | |
| 0 | 0.7 |
| 1 | 17.5 |
| 2 | 58.6 |
| 3 | 18.0 |
| 4 | 5.2 |
| Modalities recommended | |
| % Recommend FOBT | 80.3 |
| % Recommend FS | 25.7 |
| % Recommend colonoscopy | 94.8 |
| % Recommend DCBE | 8.6 |
| % Recommend FOBT and colonoscopy | 76.2 |
| % Recommend FOBT and FS | 23.4 |
| % Recommend flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy | 22.7 |
| % Recommend FOBT and colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy | 20.6 |
| Perceptions of screening | |
| Patient barriers to screening (composite measure) | |
| Low (<8) | 35.2 |
| Intermediate (8-9) | 33.4 |
| High (≥10) | 31.4 |
| Provider barriers to screening | |
| Shortage of providers for screening other than FOBT or for follow up with invasive endoscopic procedures usually a barrier | 12.2 |
| Usually not enough time to discuss screening with patients | 5.2 |
| Reimbursement | |
| Very influential | 25.0 |
| Somewhat influential | 35.7 |
| Not influential/not applicable/missing | 39.3 |
| Patient preferences for CRC screening | |
| Very influential | 26.2 |
| Somewhat influential | 52.5 |
| Not influential/not applicable/missing | 21.2 |
| Physician social support and influence | |
| Clinical evidence | |
| Very influential | 69.4 |
| Somewhat influential | 27.4 |
| Not influential/ not applicable/missing | 3.2 |
| USPSTF guidelines | |
| Very influential | 63.7 |
| Somewhat influential | 28.2 |
| Not influential/not applicable/missing | 8.1 |
| ACS guidelines | |
| Very influential | 67.3 |
| Somewhat influential | 28.6 |
| Not influential/not applicable/missing | 4.2 |
| Local CRC screening practice | |
| Very influential | 15.2 |
| Somewhat influential | 38.4 |
| Not influential/not applicable/missing | 46.4 |
*Estimates are weighted for selection probability and non-response using survey design variables and SUDAAN statistical software
CRC = colorectal cancer screening EMR=electronic medical record FOBT = fecal occult blood test DCBE = double contrast barium enema USPSTF = U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ACS = American Cancer Society
National Survey of Primary Care Physicians’ Cancer Screening Recommendations and Practices, 2006–2007
Exact wording of all items is available at http://healthservices.cancer.gov/surveys/screening_rp/screening_rp_colo_lung_inst.pdf.