Time to Diagnostic Resolution in Mobile Mammography Versus Urban Hospital-Based Breast Cancer Screening.
Zeballos Torrez, Carla R.; Edmonds, Christine E.; Nunes, Linda W.; Brewer-Hofmann, Amissa; Perez-Rojas, Stephany; Yan, Jiarui; Fayanju, Oluwadamilola M.; Englander, Brian; Elmore, Leisha C.
Why this matters
Reaching uninsured women is only half the job if diagnostic follow-up stalls. Mobile mammography patients were far more likely to be uninsured (71 percent versus 2.1 percent) but waited a median 28 days for diagnostic resolution against 11 days at the hospital, and 18 percent never returned for recommended imaging.
Abstract
This retrospective study compared recall rates, time to diagnostic resolution, and sociodemographic factors in patients screened by mobile mammography unit (MMU) versus urban hospital. In the MMU cohort, more patients identified as Non-Hispanic Black (68% vs 40%), were uninsured (71% vs 2.1%). Time to diagnostic resolution was longer among MMU-screened women (median 28 vs 11 days). 18% of MMU patients did not return for recommended diagnostic imaging versus 3.8% in hospital-screened cohort.