title: Mammography screening credit card and compliance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening for breast cancer using mammography has been shown to be effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer. The authors attempted to determine if use of a wallet-size plastic screening "credit" card would increase participants' compliance for subsequent mammograms when compared with traditional methods of increasing compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and twenty consecutive women, ages 40-70 years, undergoing their first screening mammography were recruited and assigned randomly to four groups receiving (1) a reminder plastic credit card (2) reminder credit card with written reminder; (3) appointment card; and (4) verbal recommendation. Return rates of the four groups were determined after 15 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The return rate for subsequent mammograms was significantly higher for participants (72.4%) using the credit card than for participants (39.8%) exposed to traditional encouragement/reminders (P less than 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The credit card was designed to show the participant's screening anniversary, and the durability of the card may have been a factor in increasing the return rate. The use of reminder credit cards may increase compliance for periodic screening examinations for other cancers and other chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cancer Prevention, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612-9497.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Schapira
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017010:Reminder Systems