The Validity of Male Patientsʹ Self-Reports Regarding Prostate Cancer Screening

Background.Despite the high rate of prostate cancer screening, the accuracy of male patientsʹ self-reports of screening has not been investigated. This study assessed the concordance between patientsʹ self-reports of prostate screening and the medical record. Methods.Focus groups were conducted to obtain male patientsʹ perceptions of prostate cancer screening and salient terminology. A sample of males (n= 276), 40 years of age or older, completed a 15-item questionnaire. Patientsʹ self-reports of PSA and DRE screening were then compared with medical records. Results.Results showed that patientsʹ self-reports of DRE and PSA were discordant with the medical record 32 and 29% of the time, respectively. Sensitivity of patientsʹ self-reports for DRE and PSA was 82 and 74%, respectively. Specificity of patientsʹ self-reports for DRE and PSA was 56 and 65%, respectively. One in five patients reported that they were not sure how a doctor checks a manʹs prostate gland. Only 39% of patients knew that the prostate gland can be checked by a blood test. Conclusions.There were significant differences between patientsʹ self-reports and the medical record. The results should be of concern to primary care practitioners and to those who evaluate the efficacy of prostate cancer screening programs.