Mammography capacity and appointment wait times: Barriers to breast cancer screening Journal Article
| Authors: | Elkin, E. B.; Snow, J. G.; Leoce, N. M.; Atoria, C. L.; Schrag, D. |
| Article Title: | Mammography capacity and appointment wait times: Barriers to breast cancer screening |
| Abstract: | Objective: To assess the impact of mammography capacity on appointment wait times. Methods: We surveyed by telephone all mammography facilities federally certified in 2008 in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico, and New York using a simulated patient format. County-level mammography capacity, defined as the number of mammography machines per 10,000 women aged 40 and older, was estimated from FDA facility certification records and US Census data. Results: 1,614 (86%) of 1,882 mammography facilities completed the survey. Time until next available screening mammogram appointment was <1 week at 55% of facilities, 1-4 weeks at 34% of facilities, and >1 month at 11% of facilities. Facilities in counties with lower capacity had longer wait times, and a one-unit increase in county capacity was associated with 21% lower odds of a facility reporting a wait time >1 month (p < 0.01). There was no association between wait time and the availability of evening or weekend appointments or digital mammography. Conclusion: Lower mammography capacity is associated with longer wait times for screening mammograms. Impact: Enhancement of mammography resources in areas with limited capacity may reduce wait times for screening mammogram appointments, thereby increasing access to services and rates of breast cancer screening. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. |
| Keywords: | breast cancer; cancer screening; health care utilization; mammography; screening; resource allocation; health care access; geography; health care facility; health care management; access; appointment wait time |
| Journal Title: | Cancer Causes & Control |
| Volume: | 23 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| ISSN: | 0957-5243 |
| Publisher: | Springer |
| Date Published: | 2012-01-01 |
| Start Page: | 45 |
| End Page: | 50 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10552-011-9853-1 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PUBMED: | 22037904 |
| PMCID: | PMC3774039 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | --- - "Export Date: 3 January 2012" - "CODEN: CCCNE" - "Source: Scopus" |
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