Communicating Mammography Results: By What Method and How Quickly Do Women Want Their Screening Mammogram Results?

Abstract

The purpose of the survey study was to understand the majority preference with regards to the wait time for screening mammogram results, whether prompt communication of mammogram results was of importance to patients, whether the time frame to schedule an additional imaging follow-up appointment after an abnormal screening mammogram was important to patients, and how patients preferred to be given their screening mammogram results. There were 2,245 patients who participated in the survey. A majority of patients preferred to receive screening mammogram results on Friday (n = 1,868, 85.4%), even if their mammogram was abnormal, requiring a follow-up appointment that could not be scheduled until the following week. Most individuals preferred to schedule their follow-up appointments soon after their initial appointment, preferring either the next day or within 1 to 2 days. Finally, over half of the sample preferred to be contacted via a telephone call, with letter and text messaging being the next most preferred methods and e-mail being the least preferred. Survey results suggest that the preferred wait time for screening mammogram results was either to wait at the time of screening mammogram appointment or to receive results within 48 hours. These suggestions can help clinics and providers make changes to how they communicate screening mammogram results. The strong preference of patients receiving their screening mammogram results more promptly should help trigger alternative methods toward improving communication between the radiologist and the patient.