Mobile mammography: assessment of self-referral in reaching medically underserved women.
BACKGROUND
Mobile mammography can be useful in reaching medically underserved women. However, it is not known whether self-referral for mobile mammography is the best approach for reaching the most vulnerable populations.


OBJECTIVE
1) To describe the community outreach patterns of a county-sponsored mobile mammography unit, 2) To characterize the follow-up patterns for women with abnormal screening mammograms, and 3) to identify reasons why women screened on mobile units seek follow-up care outside of the safety-net system.


METHODS
We prospectively followed women aged > or = 40 years who received mobile mammograms using electronic records and medical chart review, and surveyed women who had no evidence of diagnostic follow-up. We also reviewed administrative records to determine outreach patterns of the mobile mammography units.


RESULTS
Seventy-five percent of mobile visits were with community-based organizations or community health centers. At least one quarter of women chose to follow-up outside of the safety-net for evaluation of abnormal screening mammograms. Of these, nearly 40% reported having insurance or a private physician as the primary reason for having diagnostic evaluation outside of the public hospital system.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite serving primarily community-based facilities, self-referral for mobile mammography may not optimally target medically underserved women most in need of breast cancer screening.
Peek
Monica E
ME
Division of General Internal Medicine, The University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. mpeek@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Han
Jini
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000208:ethnology; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D009111:Local Government; D008327:Mammography / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution