PURPOSE: To understand why many primary care physicians in the United States and France order prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests routinely for their asymptomatic male patients despite "evidence-based" recommendations. METHODS: Thirty-two U.S. general internists and family practitioners and 33 French generalists judged, for 32 hypothetical male patients seen for routine preventive care, the probability that the patients had asymptomatic prostate cancer and the likelihood that they would order PSA tests. They were also asked about beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge related to prostate cancer. RESULTS: The significant predictors of ordering more PSA tests in the scenarios were physicians' higher ratings of regret if untested patients were found to have advanced cancer, their greater discomfort if they suspected that patients had illnesses but could not know for sure, and their perceptions of official recommendations as favoring routine testing. IMPLICATIONS: Nonrational factors can impede physicians' adoption of "evidence-based" recommendations.
PURPOSE: To understand why many primary care physicians in the United States and France order prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests routinely for their asymptomatic male patients despite "evidence-based" recommendations. METHODS: Thirty-two U.S. general internists and family practitioners and 33 French generalists judged, for 32 hypothetical malepatients seen for routine preventive care, the probability that the patients had asymptomatic prostate cancer and the likelihood that they would order PSA tests. They were also asked about beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge related to prostate cancer. RESULTS: The significant predictors of ordering more PSA tests in the scenarios were physicians' higher ratings of regret if untested patients were found to have advanced cancer, their greater discomfort if they suspected that patients had illnesses but could not know for sure, and their perceptions of official recommendations as favoring routine testing. IMPLICATIONS: Nonrational factors can impede physicians' adoption of "evidence-based" recommendations.
Authors: Douglas S Bell; Ron D Hays; Jerome R Hoffman; Frank C Day; Jerilyn K Higa; Michael S Wilkes Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2006-02-22 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: Gustavo Saposnik; Donald Redelmeier; Christian C Ruff; Philippe N Tobler Journal: BMC Med Inform Decis Mak Date: 2016-11-03 Impact factor: 2.796
Authors: Lucas M Bachmann; Andrea Mühleisen; Annekatrin Bock; Gerben ter Riet; Ulrike Held; Alfons G H Kessels Journal: BMC Med Res Methodol Date: 2008-07-30 Impact factor: 4.615