AlAbdulKader Assim, Almansour Abdulelah H, Abdulwahab Ahmed, Almomen Ahmed, Alhumran Ali, Alsaffar Husain, Alzaher Mojtaba, AlKhater Mohammed
Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2024 Dec 1;25(12):4415-4423. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.12.4415.
Colorectal cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and the second most prevalent cancer in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it stands as the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. There is an increasing incidence of colorectal cancer worldwide. However, there is a notable decrease in incidence in high-income countries due to effective screening programs.
The aim of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers to the utilization of colorectal cancer screening from healthcare providers' perspective.
A qualitative study was conducted at multiple centres using semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of primary healthcare physicians, gastrointestinal physicians, and colorectal surgeons on colorectal cancer screening in Dammam, Al-Khobar, and Al-Qatif in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Forty participants were involved in this study, leading to the identification of several barriers and facilitators to colorectal cancer screening.
Health system-related barriers included the unavailability of screening methods, such as FIT tests, or endoscopy units in some centres, high patient load, and the absence of a national screening program. Facilitators included easy access to screening guidelines, collaboration between hospitals, and the presence of female endoscopists. Individuals-related barriers encompassed patient unwillingness to screen, fear, lack of awareness, social and cultural factors, and inconvenience. Alternatively, the presence of a family history of colorectal cancer, GI symptoms, and higher education levels were considered as facilitators.
This study emphasizes the importance of implementing structural changes within the healthcare system, alongside raising awareness, and educating citizens. It also stresses the utilization of the effective strategies identified in this study regarding patient-provider communication to target individuals-related barriers and enhance screening rates.
结直肠癌是全球第三大常见癌症，在沙特阿拉伯是第二大常见癌症。此外，它是全球癌症相关死亡的第二大主要原因。全球结直肠癌的发病率在上升。然而，由于有效的筛查计划，高收入国家的发病率显著下降。
本研究的目的是从医疗服务提供者的角度确定结直肠癌筛查利用的促进因素和障碍。
在多个中心进行了一项定性研究，采用半结构化访谈来探讨沙特阿拉伯东部省达曼、胡巴尔和卡提夫的初级保健医生、胃肠科医生和结直肠外科医生对结直肠癌筛查的看法。40名参与者参与了这项研究，从而确定了结直肠癌筛查的几个障碍和促进因素。
与卫生系统相关的障碍包括一些中心缺乏筛查方法，如粪便免疫化学检测（FIT）试验或内镜检查单位、患者负荷高以及缺乏国家筛查计划。促进因素包括易于获取筛查指南、医院之间的合作以及女性内镜医师的存在。与个人相关的障碍包括患者不愿接受筛查、恐惧、缺乏意识、社会和文化因素以及不便。另外，有结直肠癌家族史、胃肠道症状和较高教育水平被视为促进因素。
本研究强调了在医疗系统内实施结构变革以及提高意识和教育公民的重要性。它还强调利用本研究中确定的关于医患沟通的有效策略来针对与个人相关的障碍并提高筛查率。
