Improving mammography screening using best practices and practice enhancement assistants: an Oklahoma Physicians...

In 2004 only 68% of women in Oklahoma over the age of 40 reported having a mammogram in the past 2 years, compared with 75% nationally. Strategies to improve mammography rates have been numerous but have generally included single strategies, such as physician education, practice audit and feedback, and reminders; flow sheets and results have been mixed. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the impact of a practice facilitator and "best practice" interventions on mammography rates in a practice-based research network.

A total of 16 practices participated; 8 were assigned to intervention and 8 to usual care. Pre- and post-audits of mammography rates were conducted. Intervention practices received feedback with benchmarking, academic detailing, and the assistance of a practice enhancement assistant to help with practice redesign over a 9-month period.

The groups differed significantly for both the proportion of mammograms offered to eligible patients (P = .043) and for the proportion of patients with current mammograms (P < .015). For the control group, 38% of eligible women were offered a mammogram and 202 (35% of those eligible) actually did have documentation that a mammogram had been performed. Fifty-three percent of the eligible patients in the intervention group were offered a mammogram and 52% of those eligible (n = 332) did have documentation in the chart that the mammogram had been completed.

The results suggest that these interventions can improve mammography rates in a range of practice settings. These findings are consistent with other studies that have tested multicomponent interventions.