Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38932468›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association2025

Trends in and factors associated with family physician-performed screening colonoscopies in the United States: 2016-2021.

Nicholas Edwardson, David van der Goes, V Shane Pankratz, Gulshan Parasher, Prajakta Adsul, Kevin English, Judith Sheche, Shiraz I Mishra

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trends in and factors associated with family physician-performed screening colonoscopies in the United States: 2016-2021.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nicholas EdwardsonSchool of Public Administration, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7545-1135
David van der GoesDepartment of Economics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
V Shane PankratzDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Gulshan ParasherDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Prajakta AdsulDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Kevin EnglishAlbuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Judith ShecheUniversity of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Shiraz I MishraUniversity of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeFamily physician (FP)-performed screening colonoscopies can serve as 1 strategy in the multifaceted strategy necessary to improve national colorectal cancer screening rates, particularly in rural areas where specialist models can fail. However, little research exists on the performance of this strategy in the real world. In this study, we evaluated trends in and factors associated with FP-performed screening colonoscopies in the United States between 2016 and 2021.

methodsUsing national data from Merative's Marketscan insurance claims database, we estimate the proportion of screening colonoscopies performed by FPs. We use logistic regression models to evaluate factors independently associated with FP-performed colonoscopies.

resultsThe percentage of screening colonoscopies performed by FPs exhibited a downward trend from 11.32% in 2016 to 6.73% in 2021, with the largest decrease occurring among patients from the most rural areas. FPs were more likely to perform colonoscopies on slightly older patients, male patients, and rural patients. Patients were less likely to receive FP-performed colonoscopies in large metropolitan areas compared to lesser populated areas. Patients were more likely to receive FP-performed colonoscopies in the Midwest, South, and West, even after accounting for urban-rural classification.

conclusionDespite a downward trajectory, FPs perform a substantial proportion of screening colonoscopies in the United States. Changes to the business side of health care delivery may be contributing to the observed decreasing rate. Whether through spatial or relational proximity, FPs may be better positioned to provide colonoscopy to some rural, male, and older patients who otherwise may not have been screened. Policy changes to expand the FP workforce, particularly in rural areas, are likely necessary to slow or reverse the downward trend of FP-performed screening colonoscopies.

Indexed as

ColonoscopyColorectal NeoplasmsEarly Detection of CancerMass ScreeningAdultAgedFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedPhysicians, FamilyPractice Patterns, Physicians'Rural PopulationUnited Statescolorectal cancer screeningcolorectal neoplasmhealth care workforceprimary carerural health

Identifiers

PMID38932468
PMCPMC11635341

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.