Measuring breast self-examination proficiency. A scoring system developed from a paired comparison study.

A continuous scoring strategy yielding a proficiency score on breast self-examination (BSE) performance was developed and validated. The method of paired comparisons was used to provide a rank ordering on an interval scale of the eight components of the evaluation tool. Twenty-one experts in teaching the MammaCare method of breast self-examination participated in the survey to help in developing the composite measure of proficiency in BSE performance. Data on each component of BSE were collected quantitatively, and performance scores were computed using a formula incorporating the weighting schema derived from the paired comparisons procedure. A comparison of preteaching versus postteaching mean performance scores on BSE indicated that the scoring system worked even when the teaching method varied. The scoring system presented here is a start on the development of a tool that can be useful to researchers using relative performance as a measure in BSE studies. The components of the scoring system can be used by nurses in the practice setting as a checklist for evaluating BSE performance.