The use of mammography vans by low-income women: the accuracy of self-reports.
Etzi, S; Lane, D S; Grimson, R
Why this matters
Self-reported screening histories can distort program estimates when patient recall is unreliable. Van records verified mammography use for 99 percent of 237 low-income women who reported it, though only 40 percent recalled the month and year correctly, usually placing it later than it happened.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of self-reports of mammography use by low-income income women. Mammography van records were used to verify self-reports of mammography use in the past year by women aged 50 through 75 years who had visited five community health centers (n = 237). Van records verified mammography use for 99% of these women (82% within the previous year and 98% within the past 2 years). Forty percent of those with van records who reported both the month and year of the mammogram were accurate. Inaccurately reported dates were more frequently after (74%) rather than before (26%) the actual date. These findings indicate that self-reports of mammography use by low-income women are generally reliable.