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Does timely assessment affect the anxiety associated with an abnormal mammogram result?
1Primary Care Research Center, Division of General Internal Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0936, USA.
Journal of Women'S Health & Gender-Based Medicine
|September 18, 2001
Summary
Anxiety after an abnormal mammogram is common. Diagnostic test timing impacts anxiety, with both rapid and delayed testing linked to increased distress in women.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Women's Health
Background:
- Abnormal mammogram results cause significant patient anxiety.
- Understanding factors influencing this anxiety is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the time to the first diagnostic test and anxiety levels in women following an abnormal mammogram.
- To identify temporal patterns in diagnostic testing that correlate with psychological distress.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 449 women at 2 and 8 months post-abnormal mammogram.
- Reviewed medical records to determine time to first diagnostic test.
- Assessed anxiety levels using self-report measures.
Main Results:
- Twenty-six percent reported high anxiety at 2 months; 22% at 8 months.
- No association between time to test and anxiety at 2 months.
- Testing within 7 days or after 60 days was linked to significantly higher anxiety at 8 months.
Conclusions:
- The timing of diagnostic follow-up after an abnormal mammogram influences patient anxiety.
- Both very rapid and significantly delayed testing may exacerbate psychological distress.
- Further research is needed to optimize diagnostic timelines and mitigate patient anxiety.