Peer navigation improves diagnostic follow-up after breast cancer screening among Korean American women: results of a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
To test an intervention to increase adherence to diagnostic follow-up tests among Asian American women.


METHODS
Korean American women who were referred for a diagnostic follow-up test (mainly diagnostic mammograms) and who had missed their follow-up appointment were eligible to participate in the study. Women from two clinics (n = 176) were randomly allocated to a usual care control arm or a peer navigator intervention arm. A 20-min telephone survey was administered to women in both study arms six months after they were identified to assess demographic and socio-economic characteristics and the primary outcome, self-reported completion of the recommended follow-up exam.


RESULTS
Among women who completed the survey at six-month follow-up, self-reported completion of follow-up procedures was 97% in the intervention arm and 67% in the control arm (p < 0.001). Based on an intent-to-treat analysis of all women who were randomized and an assumption of no completion of follow-up exam for women with missing outcome data, self-reported completion of follow-up was 61% in the intervention arm and 46% in the usual care control arm (p < 0.069).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a peer navigator intervention to assist Korean American women to obtain follow-up diagnostic tests after an abnormal breast cancer screening test is efficacious.
Maxwell
Annette E
AE
School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, 650 Charles Young Drive South, A2-125 CHS, Box 956900, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6900, USA. amaxwell@ucla.edu
Jo
Angela M
AM
Crespi
Catherine M
CM
Sudan
Madhuri
M
Bastani
Roshan
R
D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003625:Data Collection; D032022:Delegation, Professional; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010379:Peer Group; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States