Evaluation of the Knowledge Level of Family Medicine Residents about Mammography and Breast Cancer Screening Programs

Abstract

Aim: It was aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge of family medicine residents about breast cancer screening program national standards and mammography. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, an online questionnaire was used to measure the knowledge level of family medicine resident doctors about breast cancer and mammography. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire included questions about the diagnostic advantages of radiological breast imaging methods, the age of onset of breast cancer screening in different risk groups, and the national breast cancer screening program. The questionnaire, prepared through Google forms, was announced on social media channels used by family physicians and kept open for three months. Results: The mean age of 151 physicians was 30.4±4.3. 61.6% of the physicians were female and 38.4% were male. Only 11.9% (n=18) of the participants had previously attended a training/course on mammography. The mean correct answer score was 4.58±1.50 for 9 questions. The test scores of the residents who received specialized training in the education and research hospital were statistically significantly higher than those who received training in the university hospital (4.77±1.86 and 3.64±1.63). The mean score of residents who received previous mammography education was significantly higher than others. Conclusion: Awareness and knowledge levels of family medicine residents about breast cancer screening methods and programs should be increased with multidisciplinary training programs. Keywords: mammography, breast cancer, screening, family practice