In line with the Family Doctor’s Day celebrations, The ‘Screen For Life’ team keeps on reaching out to all health centers across Qatar and putting hundreds of physicians through a rigorous Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening training program. Developed by the team from ‘Screen for Life’ Program, Qatar’s National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Program led by The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), the training is designed to equip clinical staff and family physicians with the skills and knowledge of ‘Screen for Life’ to help increase awareness and participation in the program.
In addition to the clinical training component undertaken by physicians, the nationwide training course for physicians places an emphasis on addressing cultural attitudes and inhibitions towards self-examination and raising the topic for discussion with family in order to encourage people to undergo the screening test, as well as change attitudes, behavior and inhibitions towards discussing the subject with physicians. In addition to reminding physicians about the e-referral system that allows them to refer eligible people to breast and bowel cancer screening in an easy and automated way.
Dr. Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Cancer Program Manager, PHCC, said: “Physicians are the first point of contact for patients so it is vitally important that they have the proper knowledge of the program so they can impart the importance and benefits of screening. Successfully achieving positive results year on year, the training enhances the ability of our physicians to address concerns about the process and help patients understand the significance of the program and taking the initiative with their health.”
From the beginning of conducting the training session to date, a considerable number of clinical staff from the PHCC, including primary care, family physicians and chief nurses have undergone the training, and the continuous rollout of the learning modules will help physicians achieve PHCC’s goal to reach a wider audience across Qatar and further spread the message about the benefits of breast and bowel cancer screening.