title: Feasibility of patient navigation in resident primary care practice: a screening mammography quality improvement initiative.
abstract: Patient navigation (PN) has been used to improve breast cancer outcomes but has not been evaluated in resident practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of PN in resident clinics to improve biennial screening mammography. All participants whose last screening mammogram was at 18 months or after received PN. Feasibility outcomes included practicality (ability to carry out intervention), effectiveness (ability of intervention to increase biennial screening mammography rates), and acceptability (resident satisfaction with PN). Despite difficulty contacting patients, we found PN improved screening mammography adherence in resident practices serving vulnerable populations. Adherence rates increased significantly postintervention. Residents reported interest in using PN in practice.
authors.affiliation: Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Shroff); Women's Health Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Mss McCoy and Bak and Drs Sherman and Battaglia); and Section of General Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Mandyam).
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shroff
authors.forename: Molly E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Bonnie J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bak
authors.forename: Vasudev
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mandyam
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Battaglia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D062526:Patient Navigation; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement