A clinic-based mammography intervention targeting inner-city women

The objective was to evaluate the effect of a clinic-based intervention program on mammography use by inner-city women.

A randomized controlled trial employing firm system methodology was conducted.

The study setting was a general internal medicine clinic in the university-affiliated county hospital serving metropolitan Seattle.

Women aged 50 to 74 years with at least one routine clinic appointment (when they were due for mammography) during the study period were enrolled in the trial (n = 314).

The intervention program emphasized nursing involvement and included physician education, provider prompts, use of audiovisual and printed patient education materials, transportation assistance in the form of bus passes, preappointment telephone or postcard reminders, and rescheduling assistance. Control firm women received usual care.

Mammography completion within 8 weeks of clinic visits was significantly higher among intervention (49%) than control (22%) firm women (p < .001). These effects persisted after adjustment for potential confounding by age, race, medical insurance coverage, and previous mammography experience at the hospital (odds ratio 3.5; 95% confidence interval 1.9, 6.5). The intervention effect was modified by type of insurance coverage as well as prior mammography history. Process evaluation indicated that bus passes and rescheduling efforts did not contribute to the observed increases in screening participation.

A clinic-based program incorporating physician education, provider prompts, patient education materials, and appointment reminders and emphasizing nursing involvement can facilitate adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines among inner-city women.