Attendance and non-attendance for breast screening at the south east London breast screening service.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the reasons for a low rate of response for breast screening.


METHODS
All relevant aspects of the organisational process examined, including general practitioners' notes. Non-responders visited and interviewed.


METHODS
An inner city breast screening service working on the model advocated by the Forrest report.


METHODS
288 Women aged 50-64 registered with several general practices and invited for screening by post.


RESULTS
Determination of factors important for success of breast screening programmes.


RESULTS
After five women were excluded by their general practitioners the response rate was 129 out of 283 (46%), but 99 (35%) of the women did not receive their invitations because of inaccuracies in the family practitioner committee's database and general practitioners failing to check women's addresses completely.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased rates of response will depend on enabling general practitioners to check addresses and on an increased awareness of the importance of information.
McEwen
J
J
Department of Community Medicine, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London.
King
E
E
Bickler
G
G
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012111:Residence Characteristics