Utilization of screening mammography in New Hampshire: a population-based assessment.
BACKGROUND
The objective of screening mammography is to identify breast carcinoma early, which requires routine screening. Although self-report data indicate that screening utilization is high, the results of this population-based assessment indicated that utilization is lower than reported previously.


METHODS
The authors compared New Hampshire population data from the 2000 Census with clinical encounter data for the corresponding time obtained from the New Hampshire Mammography Network, a mammography registry that captures approximately 90% of the mammograms performed in participating New Hampshire facilities.


RESULTS
The results showed that approximately 36% of New Hampshire women either never had a mammogram or had not had a mammogram in > 27 months (irregular screenees), and older women (80 yrs and older) were less likely to be screened (79% unscreened/underscreened) compared with younger women (ages 40-69 yrs; 28-32% unscreened/underscreened). Of the screened women, 44% were adhering to an interval of 14 months, and 21% were adhering within 15 months and 26 months. The remaining 35% of the women had 1 or 2 mammograms and did not return within 27 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Routine mammography screening may be occurring less often than believed when survey data alone are used. An important, compelling concern is the reason women had one or two mammograms only and then did not return for additional screening. This area deserves additional research.
Carney
Patricia A
PA
Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 03766, USA. patricia.a.carney@dartmouth.edu
Goodrich
Martha E
ME
Mackenzie
Todd
T
Weiss
Julia E
JE
Poplack
Steven P
SP
Wells
Wendy S
WS
Titus-Ernstoff
Linda
L
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009513:New Hampshire / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate