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- Page navigation anchor for Attitudes towards faecal immunochemical testing in patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer: an online survey of GPs in EnglandAttitudes towards faecal immunochemical testing in patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer: an online survey of GPs in England
With great interest, we read the article of von Wagner et al. in the British Journal of General Practice about the attitudes of GPs towards the FIT to rule out colorectal cancer in patients with high-risk symptoms. The article evaluates a relevant topic on the attitudes of GPs towards the FIT and can be important to gain insight into potential barriers for the implementation of this test.
The recent published guideline for suspected colorectal cancer does not advice to use the FIT for high risk patients.1 We were curious why the authors decided to evaluate the attitudes of GPs towards the use of the FIT in patients with high-risk symptoms. What is the opinion of the authors on implementing the FIT in these patients? Also, we were questioning if the attitudes of GPs would be different, if the use of the FIT for patients with high-risk symptoms was included in the recent published guideline.1
The strength of the study is that 14100 GPs were invited for an online survey. However, it remains unclear how this sample size was determined. The criteria for excluding the 118 GPs who did not qualify or completed the survey on a previous occasion are not clearly defined. We think it is important to report the exclusion criteria in order to determine if selection bias may have occurred.
Lastly, the results are presented in adjusted odds ratios, but the variables for which the results are adjusted are not described in th...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.