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Table 2 Experts’ preferences regarding guidance and information when communicating with women about breast cancer screening

From: The role of communication in breast cancer screening: a qualitative study with Australian experts

 

Guidancea

No guidanceb

Limited informationc

“BE SCREENED” e

N/A

Full informationd

“BE SCREENED AND HERE’S WHY” e

“SCREENING IS AVAILABLE, PLEASE CONSIDER WHETHER IT IS RIGHT FOR YOU” e

  1. aGuidance: Experts who preferred guiding women to screen advocated for the following:
  2. • Provider-to-consumer guidance to screen via public promotional advertising & personalised letters of invitation to women from the screening program
  3. • Marketing support & participation targets for local breast screening units to ensure guidance is effective at maintaining high participation
  4. • Educational support & electronic reminders to enhance GP-to-consumer guidance to screen
  5. bNo guidance: Experts who preferred not to guide women’s screening choices advocated for the following:
  6. • An independent body to provide information to women about screening options & encourage them to make a thoughtful choice about participation
  7. • Online decision aid tools available to consumers
  8. • No personalised invitations
  9. • Targets for consumer understanding rather than participation
  10. • Educational support to enhance GP assistance for women to make an informed screening choice
  11. • Directed advice available from GP upon request
  12. cLimited information: Experts who preferred limiting the overdiagnosis information presented to women advocated for the following content in consumer communications:
  13. • Information that breast screening saves lives
  14. • Information that a recall does not necessarily mean you have cancer
  15. • Brief mention that overdiagnosis is a possibility and that it is unlikely
  16. • Advising that further information is available to women upon request
  17. dFull information: Experts who preferred providing full information to women advocated for the following content in consumer communications:
  18. • Detailed information about mortality benefit, false positives & overdiagnosis associated with breast screening
  19. • Numerical / pictorial comparison of chances of deriving benefit & being overdiagnosed
  20. eThere were roughly equal numbers of experts supporting each of the three named approaches
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BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

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