Mammography status using patient self-reports and computerized radiology database.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to compare self-reported mammography use of low-income women utilizing an inner-city public hospital with a computerized hospital database for tracking mammography use.


METHODS
A survey of all age-eligible women using the hospital's internal medicine clinic was done; responses were matched with the radiology database. We examined concordance among the two data sources.


RESULTS
Concordance between self-report and the database was high (82%) when using "ever had a mammogram at the hospital," but low (58%) when comparing self-reported last mammogram with the information contained in the database.


CONCLUSIONS
Disagreements existed between self-reports and the database. Because we sought to ensure that women would know exactly what a mammogram entailed by including a picture of a woman having a mammogram, it is possible that women's responses were accurate, leading to concerns that discrepancies might be present in the database. Physicians and staff must ensure that they understand the full history of a woman's experience with mammography before recommending for or against the procedure.
Thompson
B
B
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA. bthompso@fhcrc.org
Taylor
V
V
Goldberg
H
H
Mullen
M
M
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D014861:Washington