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Mammography screening credit card and compliance
Author(s) -
Schapira David V.,
Kumar Nagi B.,
Clark Robert A.,
Yag Cyndi
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19920715)70:2<509::aid-cncr2820700222>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - medicine , credit card , mammography , report card , breast cancer , patient compliance , compliance (psychology) , cancer , family medicine , payment , finance , psychology , social psychology , pedagogy , economics
Background . Screening for breast cancer using mammography has been shown to be effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer. The authors attempted to determine if use of a wallet‐size plastic screening “credit” card would increase participants' compliance for subsequent mammograms when compared with traditional methods of increasing compliance. Methods . Two hundred and twenty consecutive women, ages 40‐70 years, undergoing their first screening mammography were recruited and assigned randomly to four groups receiving (1) a reminder plastic credit card (2) reminder credit card with written reminder; (3) appointment card; and (4) verbal recommendation. Return rates of the four groups were determined after 15 months. Results . The return rate for subsequent mammograms was significantly higher for participants (72.4%) using the credit card than for participants (39.8%) exposed to traditional encouragement/reminders ( P < 0.0001). Conclusions . The credit card was designed to show the participant's screening anniversary, and the durability of the card may have been a factor in increasing the return rate. The use of reminder credit cards may increase compliance for periodic screening examinations for other cancers and other chronic diseases. Cancer 1992; 701509‐512.