The effects of standard care counseling or telephone/in-person counseling on beliefs, knowledge, and behavior related to mammography screening.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To determine the most effective methods of increasing mammography adherence while also considering ease of intervention delivery in evolving healthcare systems.

DESIGN

Experimental.

SETTING

Women from a health maintenance organization and a large general medicine practice.

SAMPLE

Women 50-85 years of age who had not had breast cancer and did not have a mammogram within the last 15 months.

METHODS

Once consent and baseline information were obtained, women were randomized to receive in-person, telephone, or no mammography counseling.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Mammography adherence, perception of susceptibility to breast cancer, and benefits, barriers to, and knowledge of mammography.

FINDINGS

Compared to standard care, telephone counseling was more than twice as effective at increasing mammography adherence, whereas in-person counseling resulted in almost three times the mammography adherence postintervention. Both telephone and in-person counseling are successful in changing perceived susceptibility, knowledge, barriers, and benefits.

CONCLUSION

Both telephone and in-person counseling interventions were successful in changing beliefs, which, in turn, increased mammography adherence.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Interventions based on altering beliefs are effective for increasing mammography adherence.