Primary Care in Mammography Adherence: A Perspective in Patient Care

Abstract

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) (2013) reports breast cancer accounts for sixteen percent of cancer mortality in women worldwide. The American Cancer Society (2014) predicts women in the United States will report 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,000 deaths in 2014. Mammography screening is a verified method of detecting breast cancer early. In the United States, the five-year survival rate is ninety percent and if the cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is ninety-nine percent. Are mammograms being recommended routinely? This study focuses on the recommendations of primary care providers in rural north Georgia. A survey of patients is presented along with ways to improve recommendation rates. The authors will present an innovative teaching tool that can be easily replicated and used in any office setting.

Keywords: mammography, primary care, breast cancer