What do hospitalists think about inpatient mammography for hospitalized women who are overdue for their breast cancer screening?

BACKGROUND

A recent study showed that many hospitalized women are nonadherent with breast cancer screening recommendations, and that a majority of these women would be amenable to inpatient screening if it were offered.

OBJECTIVE

Explore hospitalists' views about the appropriateness of inpatient breast cancer screening and their concerns about related matters.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4 hospitalist groups affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. χ(2) and t-test statistics were used to identify hospitalist characteristics that were associated with being supportive of inpatient screening mammography.

RESULTS

The response rate was 92%. Sixty-two percent of respondents believed that hospitalists should not be involved in breast cancer screening. In response to clinical scenarios describing hospitalized women who were overdue for screening, only one-third of hospitalists said that they would order a screening mammogram. Lack of follow-up on screening mammography results was cited as the most common concern related to ordering the test.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility and potential barriers associated with inpatient screening mammography.