Healthcare providers' personal cancer screening practices: A cross-sectional survey with general population comparison.

Abstract

271 Background: Healthcare providers (HCPs) routinely recommend cancer screening yet their own adherence remains understudied. Physician screening behavior influences patient screening rates, with patients of screened physicians being 10% more likely to undergo testing. 1 In the general population, financial constraints are associated with 18–32% lower screening odds across all cancer types. 2 Understanding how HCP barriers differ may inform targeted quality improvement strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to HCPs across multiple specialties (April–May 2026), assessing demographics, personal cancer screening behaviors (colorectal, breast, cervical, prostate, skin, and lung), barriers, and attitudes. Categorical associations were examined using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. One-sample exact binomial tests compared HCP screening rates with 2023 NHIS benchmarks. 1 Analyses were conducted at alpha .05 using SAS 9.4. Results: Of 108 respondents (75.9% physicians, 57.4% female, median age 34 years), HCPs demonstrated significantly higher screening rates compared to the US general population for colorectal (83.72% vs. 67.4%, p<.0001), breast (92.86% vs. 80%, p<.0001), and cervical cancer (85.29% vs. 75.4%, p<.0001). Skin cancer screening up-to-date status was significantly associated with role (non-physicians 78.26% vs. physicians 32.94%, p<.0001) and sex (females 50% vs. males 28.95%, p=.0346). The barrier profile was fundamentally inverted from the general population: time/scheduling constraints dominated among HCPs, with 82.65% citing lack of time or inconvenience of scheduling appointments as a barrier, whereas financial barriers, the leading general population obstacle, were cited by only 7.4%. Unique HCP barriers included "perceptions regarding self-referral" (6.5%) and confidentiality concerns (2.8%). Despite 87% agreeing HCPs should follow the same guidelines recommended to patients, approximately 20% acknowledged not prioritizing their own screening accordingly. Conclusions: HCPs demonstrate significantly higher screening rates than the general population for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers but face a fundamentally different barrier landscape dominated by time constraints rather than financial or awareness barriers. Quality improvement efforts should target structural and occupational barriers; including on-site screening, protected wellness time, and confidential scheduling pathways, to close the knowledge-behavior gap among providers. 1. Use of Cancer Screening Tests, United States, 2023. Sabatino SA, Thompson TD, Croswell JM, et al. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2025;22:E52. doi:10.5888/pcd22.250139. 2. Barriers to Health Care and Cancer Screening. Gurayah AA, An A, Kuchakulla M, et al. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(4):e267024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.7024.