Improving State-Mandated Breast Density Notifications.

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Radiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for healthcare outcomes.
• State-mandated breast density notifications (BDNs) since 2016 use complex language, hindering patient comprehension.
• This complexity may lead to misinterpretation of breast density information and associated risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if a revised BDN, written at a lower reading grade level, enhances patient understanding compared to the current state-mandated BDN.
• To assess the impact of BDN readability on patient perceptions of breast cancer risk.
• To determine if revised BDNs encourage patient-provider discussions about breast density.

Main Methods:

• A revised BDN was developed with content similar to the current version but at a lower reading grade level.
• Surveys were administered to screening mammography patients at four imaging centers for direct comparison of both notifications.
• The survey assessed patient perceptions of breast density, associated risks, and likelihood to discuss findings with healthcare providers.

Main Results:

• The revised BDN had a mean readability grade level of 6.6, significantly lower than the current BDN's 13.4.
• Women receiving the revised BDN were less likely to perceive dense breasts as indicating high lifetime cancer risk (2.2% vs. 56.6%).
• Nearly all patients reading the revised BDN (96.0%) were more likely to discuss breast density with providers, versus 32.8% with the current BDN.

Conclusions:

• The current state-mandated BDN is frequently misinterpreted by patients.
• A revised BDN at a lower reading grade level improves comprehension of breast density information.
• Enhanced understanding can lead to more personalized and effective breast cancer screening strategies for women with dense breasts.