Published in:
01-12-2015 | Original Research
The Effectiveness of a Physician-Only and Physician–Patient Intervention on Colorectal Cancer Screening Discussions Between Providers and African American and Latino Patients
Published in: Journal of General Internal Medicine | Issue 12/2015
Login to get accessABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Physician recommendation of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is a critical facilitator of screening completion. Providing patients a choice of screening options may increase CRC screening completion, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess the effectiveness of physician-only and physician–patient interventions on increasing rates of CRC screening discussions as compared to usual care.
DESIGN
This study was quasi-experimental. Clinics were allocated to intervention or usual care; patients in intervention clinics were randomized to receipt of patient intervention.
PARTICIPANTS
Patients aged 50 to 75 years, due for CRC screening, receiving care at either a federally qualified health care center or an academic health center participated in the study.
INTERVENTION
Intervention physicians received continuous quality improvement and communication skills training. Intervention patients watched an educational video immediately before their appointment.
MAIN MEASURES
Rates of patient-reported 1) CRC screening discussions, and 2) discussions of more than one screening test.
KEY RESULTS
The physician–patient intervention (n = 167) resulted in higher rates of CRC screening discussions compared to both physician-only intervention (n = 183; 61.1 % vs.50.3 %, p = 0.008) and usual care (n = 153; 61.1 % vs. 34.0 % p = 0.03). More discussions of specific CRC screening tests and discussions of more than one test occurred in the intervention arms than in usual care (44.6 % vs. 22.9 %,p = 0.03) and (5.1 % vs. 2.0 %, p = 0.036), respectively, but discussion of more than one test was uncommon. Across all arms, 143 patients (28.4 %) reported discussion of colonoscopy only; 21 (4.2 %) reported discussion of both colonoscopy and stool tests.
CONCLUSIONS
Compared to usual care and a physician-only intervention, a physician–patient intervention increased rates of CRC screening discussions, yet discussions overwhelmingly focused solely on colonoscopy. In underserved patient populations where access to colonoscopy may be limited, interventions encouraging discussions of both stool tests and colonoscopy may be needed.