Rastreamento do câncer de mama: aspectos relacionados ao médico

Abstract

Identify the physicians' socio-demographic profiles, conducts, beliefs, opinions and knowledge on breast cancer. Listings of the specialists were obtained from their respective societies and the Regional Medical Council. Questionnaires were sent out to 582 physicians considered as eligible for the purposes of the study. The main aspects researched were: 1- socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, year of university graduation, area of professional practice (publiclprivate sectors); 2- professional ability to recognise breast cancer risk factors; 3- educational activities developed by the doctors during the consultations; 4- perception of barriers in breast cancer screening; 5- generic questioning. Of the 582 questionnaires dispatched, 105 (21.2%) were completed and returned, with 70.5% of the respondents being male doctors. The age varied from 26 to 70 years, with the average being placed at 43.9 years of age (SD = 9.7 years). Time since graduation: 73.5% has practiced medicine for less than 20 years. Distribution by speciality: 88.6% gynaecologists, 3.8% senologists 4.8% were both (gynaecologistslsenologists), and 2.8% geriatricians. Area of professional practice: 62.5% simultaneously referred practicing medicine in both public and private sectors; 35.2% solely in the private sector, whilst 1.9% remain exclusively in the public sector. Ability to recognise breast cancer risk factors: only 13.3% of the physicians identified the 5 breast cancer risk factors presented. Beliefs and opinions on screening were promising and largely positive. Educational activities during consultation: 92.5% of respondents reported that they work to inform and educate patients during consultations; however, some of their answers were contradictory regarding this matter. Furthermore, the guidelines on breast cancer screening do not seem to be clear to a significant number of the respondents. Perception of limiting factors in screening: scarcity of equipment and the high costs of examinations were identified by the physicians as being obstacles to breast cancer screening. Generic questions: around 95% of the doctors reported to have taken refresher training and other professional courses within a two-year period prior to answering the questionnaire. Conclusions: The majority of the respondents has practiced medicine for less than 20 years and are expected to remain professionally active for many years to come. Approximately two thirds simultaneously practice in both, the public and private sectors. Their ability to recognise the risk factors associated with breast cancer was inadequate, yet their beliefs and opinions were largely positive. Even though most of the respondents claimed to have elaborated some form of educational activity in their clinics, concerning breast cancer, their answers were sometimes contradictory to these claims. Scarcity of equipment and high examination costs were pointed out as being chief barriers to patients taking mammograms. In general, the physicians that responded to the questionnaire seemed to be receptive to issues regarding medical updating.