Table 4 Factors influencing behaviours related to HPV testing
Theme / construct domain | Subtheme / specific belief | Practitioner * | Sample quote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GPs | Practice nurses | |||
1. Knowledge | Not enough information available about it | √ | √ | ‘I didn’t even know that it [HPV testing] was available… Whatever it is whether it’s a urine or a swab… Just don’t have the knowledge at all’ - Practice nurse 5003 |
Don't know anything about it | √ | √ | ||
2. Skill | - | - | - | - |
3. Social / professional role and identity | Topic not covered in practitioner's training | - | √ | ‘That wasn’t brought up inmy training or any of our updates’ - Practice nurse 5018 |
4. Beliefs about capabilities | The test is too new to implement in routine practice | √ | √ | ‘We don’t have any algorithm for the management of people with HPV’ - GP 0140 |
Would be more likely to discuss HPV testing if: | ||||
There were guidelines / management algorithm | √ | √ | ||
There was a reliable source to whom practitioners can refer questions | √ | - | ||
5. Beliefs about consequences | HPV testing provides no clinical benefit | √ | √ | ‘I’m not sure there’s any point, I can’t see the point in it really. It doesn’t seem to add an awful lot to [the treatment plan for women with cervical cancer], like given that you’re going to come up with a positive or negative test result to just HPV in geneeral mmm it doesn’t seem to add anything’ - GP 0133 |
6. Motivation and goals | HPV testing would be useful in primary care | √ | - | ‘I think it would be good to provide HPV testing’ - GP 0129 |
7. Memory, attention and decision processes | - | - | - | - |
8. Environmental context and resources | HPV testing costs too much | √ | √ | ‘From what I understand it’s very expensive’ - Practice nurse 5018 |
9. Social influences | More publicity is needed to encourage women to have a HPV test | √ | - | ‘For the public to come forward [for HPV testing] a media campaign is always very good because if they read something in the daily papers they’ll take heed of it. They won’t take heed of us advising them a lot’ - GP 0086 |
10. Emotion | The practitioner could be embarrassed by not having answers to patients questions about HPV testing | √ | - | ‘It’d be very difficult because it’d be mortifying not to have the answers straight away’ - GP 0034 |
11. Behavioural regulation | HPV testing is uncommon in Ireland | - | - | - |
12. Nature of the behaviour | HPV testing is uncommon in Ireland | - | √ | ‘I don’t think it’s done an awful lot in Ireland’ - Practice nurse 5020 |