April 2021 - Volume 15, Issue 2

Exploring the Barriers Toward Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Literature Review

Rolla Hamdan (1)
Jessie Johnson (2)
Maryam Fatemi (1)
Kathleen Benjamin (3)
Afrah Moosa (1)

(1) BScN, MN, Primary Healthcare Corporation, Qatar
(2) RN, PhD, Faculty of Nursing Qatar (3) Uyoun Aljawa General Hospital, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(3) RN, PhD, Adjunct, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Canada

Corresponding author:
Rolla Hamdan
Primary Healthcare Corporation,
Qatar
Email: ramhamda@ucalgary.ca

Received: February 2021; Accepted: March 2021; Published: April, 2021
Citation: Rolla Hamdan et al. Exploring the Barriers Toward Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Literature Review. Middle East Journal of Nursing 2021; 15(2): 3-12.DOI: 10.5742/MEJN.2021.937804

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ABSTRACT

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Bowel cancer screening helps prevent colon cancer by early detection of polyps, leading to efficient treatment and reduced mortality. Within Qatar, primary health facilities promote bowel screening by using the faecal occult blood test. However, the popularity and use of this test is still low.

Aim: The aim of this literature review is to explore barriers related to colorectal cancer bowel screening using the faecal occult blood test in primary health care settings to facilitate colorectal cancer screening in Qatar.

Method: Cronin’s five step framework for literature reviews was utilized for this paper. This review included nine articles that were peer-reviewed and published between 2009 and 2019. The nine articles were appraised by using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. This tool has separate criteria to assess the quality of the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies.

Result: Three main barriers to bowel cancer screening included knowledge deficit, personal beliefs and organizational barriers.

Conclusion: The main barriers are related to the patients’ lack of knowledge and personal beliefs. Overcoming these barriers is essential to raising awareness about this issue among all nurses, physicians, and patients. It is necessary to involve stakeholders in order to mitigate barriers. Developing educational activities for healthcare professionals will provide information that they can share with patients to encourage screening and decrease the fear of the test. Developing a pamphlet to increase patient awareness will also encourage screening and work toward decreasing fear.

Key words: faecal occult blood test, faecal immunochemical test,

 


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