Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions and Knowledge of the USPSTF Guidelines on Breast Self-Examination

South Med J. 2015 Aug;108(8):459-62. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000318.

Abstract

Objectives: In 2009, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published revised guidelines for breast cancer screening, which recommended against teaching breast self-examination (BSE). The objective of this study was to assess providers' perceptions and knowledge regarding these updated guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was administered to 205 attending and resident physicians, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and registered nurses working in five medical and gynecological practices affiliated with a large academic teaching hospital in western Massachusetts. The survey solicited demographic data and inquired about practitioners' perceptions and knowledge of the revised guidelines.

Results: Fewer than half (41.1%) of respondents correctly identified the new USPSTF guidelines for BSE. Among those who stated they were aware of guidelines, only 37.1% adhered to them. Overall, 70% report that they teach patients to perform BSE. Teaching BSE was associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-6.29), a belief that BSE reduces morbidity and mortality (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.08-7.81), and internal medicine residency (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.06-0.59).

Conclusions: Knowledge of the 2009 USPSTF guidelines is suboptimal and greater efforts should be made to educate healthcare professionals about them.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Self-Examination / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Female
  • Guideline Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nurses / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Physicians / statistics & numerical data
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
  • Social Perception
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology