Mammography screening credit card and compliance.
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.
Schapira
D V
DV
Section of Cancer Prevention, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612-9497.
Kumar
N B
NB
Clark
R A
RA
Yag
C
C
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