European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SCREENING TESTS IN FAMILY MEDICINE AND GENERAL PRACTICE CLINICS, AND THE BARRIERS AFFECTING IT

Wafaa Mohammed Shatnawi MD*, Aysheh Azmi Adel Mohammad MD, Fouzia Sabrine Adel MD, Anas Mohammad Addad Shatnawi MD, Bayan Mutaz Mohammed Zaki Al Rababa MD

ABSTRACT

Screening tests are central to early disease detection in primary care, yet their implementation often falls short of recommendations in everyday practice, and evidence from Jordanian primary care remains limited. This cross-sectional study surveyed 206 physicians in governmental family medicine and general practice clinics across all 12 governorates of Jordan to assess self-reported implementation of six screening tests (blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, breast cancer, colon cancer, and osteoporosis screening), identify barriers and facilitators, and compare implementation between family medicine specialists and general practitioners. Implementation varied substantially by test, from about half of respondents reporting coverage above 75% of eligible patients for blood pressure and diabetes screening to fewer than one in five for breast and colon cancer screening, and differed significantly between the two physician groups for every test examined. Overall, 110 of 206 respondents (53.4%) met the study definition of high screening adherence: 87 of 106 family medicine specialists (82.1%) versus 23 of 100 general practitioners (23.0%). In an adjusted logistic regression model, specialty showed the strongest association with high adherence (adjusted odds ratio 17.58, 95% confidence interval 8.62 to 38.35). Heavy patient load, referral or waiting-time difficulty, and low patient awareness were the most frequently reported barriers; on-site screening access without referral and improved staffing were the most frequently reported facilitators. These findings indicate that screening implementation in this governmental primary care setting remains inconsistent and lower among general practitioners, though the cross-sectional, self-reported design limits causal interpretation.

Keywords: Screening programs; Primary care; Family medicine; General practice; Jordan healthcare.