BC Primary Care Physicians Cancer Screening Needs Assessment

Summary

Studies have shown that not only can the appropriate use of cancer screening procedures save lives, but that primary care physicians have the greatest degree of influence on patients cancer screening behaviour.

In 2009, primary care physicians (GPs & FPs) in British Columbia were invited to participate in a province wide needs assessment study titled, ‘Primary Care Physician Education and Engagement in the Promotion of Recommended Cancer Screening in BC’. 

This study, developed and conducted by the UBC CPD in partnership with the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA), investigated the current practices, attitudes, and challenges of primary care physicians in the screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers, as well as the hereditary predisposition to cancer.

Almost 900 primary care physicians in BC participated in this study either by completing a comprehensive survey and/or by participating in an interview or focus group discussion.

The findings of this needs assessment study have now been distilled into a final report and a high level executive summary (see below for links to final report and executive summary) that now provides insight for better understanding of the cancer screening practices of primary care physicians, their barriers to discussing and encouraging screening options to patients, as well as facilitators to better support their screening practices.

The final report also includes a set of action orientated recommendations, whose implementation began in the spring of 2010 with the delivery of online webinar educational sessions on cervical and colorectal cancer screening, as well as the hereditary predisposition to cancer (see below for links to webinar archives).

Our thanks to all those who were able to participate in this needs assessment study that produced important findings to improve cancer screening in BC.

For more information about this study, please contact UBC CPD Project Manager, Tunde Olatunbosun (tunde.o@ubc.ca).

Needs Assessment Report

Click HERE to download the Final Report