Response of Healthcare Professionals in the County of Istria to the National Prevention Programme for theb Early Detection of Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: National preventive screening programmes, such as mammography for women aged 50-69, are key to detecting malignancies at the earliest stage and increasing the cure rate. Although these programmes have been in place for many years, uptake is still low due to various factors such as lack of information and fear of diagnosis. This research focuses on understanding the response of healthcare professionals to the programmes they promote and the reasons for their possible non-response. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The quantitative cross-sectional study involved 102 people aged 50 to 72 years employed in public healthcare institutions in Istria County. It was conducted using a 13-question questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and personal history of breast cancer. The questionnaire, which was created using a Google form, was sent by e-mail and took about 10 minutes to complete. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel and Statistics 14.0.0.15, respecting ethical principles and respondent privacy. RESULTS: The study showed a high response rate of 92.5% of healthcare workers who had received an invitation for mammography screening. The response rate was significantly higher than the average response rate of 60% in the general population of women in Croatia. The main reasons for non-response are practical reasons such as acute illness, lack of information or working hours. Long-term health education and promotion, better information and advertising and more flexible working hours were mentioned as suggestions for increasing the response rate. CONCLUSION: Healthcare workers in Istria County have a high response rate to the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme, and reasons for non-participation include practical reasons, lack of information and anxiety about screening. These findings can be used to improve the programme's response rate by addressing these issues and providing more information and support to those who are invited to participate.