Promising Practices in Mammography Recruitment, Retention and Rescreening for Breast Cancer Early Detection among Community-Based Programs Supported by the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund.

Abstract

Abstract Background/Significance: National guidelines recommend women age 40 and older have mammograms every 1-2 years. Since 2000, the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund (AFBCF), a project of Cicatelli Associates Inc., has supported nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide breast health education and outreach to link medically underserved women with free/low-cost breast cancer screening services. These organizations have developed effective strategies for recruiting, retaining and rescreening clients. This evaluation study aims to identify promising practices for effective mammography recruitment, retention and rescreening among un/underinsured, low-income, and racial and/or ethnic minority women.Methods: Twenty of 144 AFBCF-funded CBOs were selected to participate in a retrospective study to determine clients' rescreening rates.CBOs provided de-identified data on mammography screening by age and visit date to determine their rescreening rate, defined as the proportion of female outreach clients age 40+ years receiving a mammogram and subsequent mammogram through that agency within the following 6-18 and/or 18-30 months. CBOs also completed a qualitative survey about program strategies and systems. Qualitative data were linked with rescreening rates to identify promising practices. Survey results were also used to develop a discrete questionnaire administered to 144 AFBCF-funded CBOs to identify which agencies currently employ identified promising practices.Results: Data analysis will be completed in September 2009.Preliminary results indicate that rescreening rates vary widely across agencies, from 15% to over 90%. In addition, findings indicate that some CBOs lack mechanisms to routinely monitor client rescreening. Utilizing unique client identifiers in conjunction with the use of electronic data tracking systems would facilitate tracking clients over time and improve targeted outreach efforts to increase rescreening rates.Discussion: Combined qualitative and quantitative analyses of differences in practices directed at encouraging mammography rescreening among medically underserved women will enable a description of promising practices for increasing rescreening rates in this population. Analysis will include an explanation of mammography rescreening rates among medically underserved women. Agencies with high rescreening rates will be identified and discussion regarding organizational characteristics and practices will be presented. Additionally, unique and innovative strategies for reaching specific populations will be examined. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3080.