Adherence to the United States Preventative Services Task Force Female Screening Guidelines: An Internal Medicine...

Area of Science:

• Preventive medicine
• Internal medicine
• Women's health

Background:

• Existing guidelines for female preventative screening tests vary.
• Adherence to United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines by medical resident physicians is inconsistent.
• National screening rates for breast cancer and osteoporosis remain below target levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate resident physician adherence to USPSTF guidelines for breast cancer and osteoporosis screening.
• To compare resident screening performance with national screening rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of ambulatory medical clinic records for female patients (July 2015 - December 2017).
• Analysis of breast cancer (mammograms) and osteoporosis (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry - DXA) screening test ordering.
• Comparison of resident ordering practices against USPSTF guidelines and national screening rates.

Main Results:

• Of 545 mammograms performed, 93% were indicated per USPSTF guidelines (P < 0.0001).
• Of 107 DXA scans performed, 88.7% were correctly indicated per USPSTF guidelines (P < 0.0001).
• Resident adherence to USPSTF screening guidelines surpassed national and state screening rates.

Conclusions:

• Resident physician adherence to USPSTF screening guidelines for breast cancer and DXA scans was notably high.
• A structured educational project, including faculty mentorship and continuity of care, improved screening rates.