CAUSES OF REFUSING MEDICAL EXAMINATIONBY PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED CANCER AS PERCEIVED BY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS IN SOUTH KAZAKHSTAN REGION
Objective: To identify the most frequent causes of refusing thorough medical examinations by patients with suspected cancer as perceived by primary care physicians in South Kazakhstan Region (SKR).
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study, which included 500 primary care physicians in SKR. Data collection took place between 01 January 2016 and 14 April 2016). The questionnaire contained 33 semi-open questions. Filling out time was between 20 and 25 minutes. Only doctors who worked at policlinics during the time of the study were included. Results are presented absolute numbers and proportions with 95% confidential intervals (CI).
Results: Fear was the most common cause of patients refusing further medical examination after cancer was suspected (66.2% (95% CI: 61.8-70.3)). As many as 22.8% (95% CI: 19.2 – 26.7) of the respondents noted being busy at work and feat to lose it as the main cause of refusal. – Altogether, 11.8% (95% CI: 09.1 - 15.0) reported that patients developed signs of depression. Only 11.0% (95% CI: 8.4-14.1) reported that their patients agreed to visit an oncologist after persuasion while 4.0% (95% of CI: 2.5-6.2) agreed to undergo a thorough medical examination without hesitation.
Conclusion: For the first time perceptions of primary care physicians on the causes of refusing medical examination by patients of suspected cancer was studied in SKR. The most common cause was fear of being diagnosed with cancer. Our results suggest low level of medical literacy in SKR, particularly on the issues of possibilities of successful treatment of cancer, and warrant information campaigns among general population to ensure early detection and early initiation of treatment.
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Булешов М.А., Тажибаева К.Н., Булешова А.М, Гржибовский A.М., Жанабаев Н.С. Причины отказа пациентов с подозрением на злокачественные новообразования от дальнейшего медицинского обследования, по мнению участковых врачей Южно-Казахстанской области / / Наука и Здравоохранение. 2016. №5. С. 90-100. Buleshov М.A., Tazhibayeva K.N., Buleshovа A.М., Grjibovski A.M., Zhanabayev N.S. Causes of refusing medical examination by patients with suspected cancer as perceived by primary care physicians in South Kazakhstan region. Nauka i Zdravookhranenie [Science & Healthcare]. 2016, 5, pp. 90-100. Булешов М.А., Тажибаева К.Н., Булешова А.М., Гржибовский A.М., Жанабаев Н.С. Оңтүстік қазақстан облысында аймақтық дәрігерлердің пікірі бойынша қатерлі ісік ауруына күдік туғызған пациенттердің диагностикалық тексеруден бас тарту себептері / / Ғылым және Денсаулық сақтау. 2016. №5. Б. 90-100.Related publications:
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