Factors Influencing Patient Confidence in Screening Mammography

Hannah Jarvis; Lanyu Mi; Bhavika Patel; Regino P Cube; Sandhya Pruthi; Suneela Vegunta

doi:10.3122/jabfm.2023.230055R1

Factors Influencing Patient Confidence in Screening Mammography

J Am Board Fam Med. 2024 Jan 5;36(6):942-951. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230055R1.

Authors

Hannah Jarvis¹, Lanyu Mi¹, Bhavika Patel¹, Regino P Cube¹, Sandhya Pruthi¹, Suneela Vegunta²

Affiliations

¹ From the Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine-Arizona campus, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Scottsdale, AZ (HJ); Department of Radiology (BP and RPC), Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ (BP); Breast Diagnostic Clinic (SP) and Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (SP), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (RPC); Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics (LM) and Division of Women's Health Internal Medicine (SV), Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ (SP); University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH (LM); Hannah Jarvis, MD, is now with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
² From the Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine-Arizona campus, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Scottsdale, AZ (HJ); Department of Radiology (BP and RPC), Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ (BP); Breast Diagnostic Clinic (SP) and Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (SP), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (RPC); Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics (LM) and Division of Women's Health Internal Medicine (SV), Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ (SP); University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH (LM); Hannah Jarvis, MD, is now with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Vegunta.suneela@mayo.edu.

PMID: 38171581
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230055R1

Abstract

Background: We aimed to assess factors associated with patients' confidence in the ability of screening mammography to detect breast cancer.

Methods: Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional, prospective survey conducted in 2017 of women without a breast cancer history who were undergoing screening mammography at our institution.

Results: In total, 390 women completed the survey questions relevant to this study. Most respondents were 46 years or older (89.7%), White (87.6%), and college-educated (66.1%). Approximately 80% of respondents reported having confidence in the ability of screening mammography to detect breast cancer. Factors significantly associated with lower confidence in screening mammography were higher education (P = .01) and dense breast tissue (P < .001). Age (P = .12), race (P = .64), family history of breast cancer (P = .17), prior abnormal mammogram (P = .07), and mammogram frequency (P = .42) were nonsignificant. Women with a college education or higher were less likely to report confidence in routine mammography than women with less education (odds ratio [OR]= 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.84; P = .02). Compared with women who reported their breast tissue as not dense, women who were aware they had increased breast density (OR = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04-0.49; P = .004) or were unaware whether they had increased breast density (OR = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.51; P = .005) reported less confidence in screening mammography.

Discussion: Most respondents were confident in the ability of screening mammography to detect breast cancer. Confidence was inversely associated with education level and self-reported increased breast density.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of continued patient education about the effectiveness of screening mammography for patients with dense breast tissue.

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Breast Density; Cancer Screening; Cross-Sectional Studies; Mammography; Patient Confidence; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires.

MeSH terms

Breast Density
Breast Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Cross-Sectional Studies
Early Detection of Cancer
Female
Humans
Mammography*
Mass Screening
Prospective Studies