Utilizing Social Contacts to Facilitate Mammogram Screening Among African American Women

The Washington University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Social Contact Reminder

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05275361

202110124

Details and patient eligibility

About

Eliminating racial disparities in breast cancer is a top public health priority. African American (AA) women often present with more advanced and aggressive disease at the time of diagnosis and are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States. Mammogram screening significantly reduces breast cancer mortality by diagnosing cancer at an earlier stage where treatments are more effective. While some AA women do not schedule screening mammograms as recommended by current guidelines, others do not show up for their exams after scheduling them (no-shows). No-shows to cancer screening appointments impose an enormous strain on our limited healthcare resources with negative impact on other patients who could have secured earlier appointments, loss of revenue for hospitals or clinics serving underserved populations and delays in diagnoses and treatment for those who do not have screening. The investigators identified a high no-show rate for screening mammograms at our hospital. AA women were almost three times more likely to no-show for their mammograms compared to White women. Patient's social networks plan an important role in health promotion. In this study, we will pilot an intervention involving patient's social contacts (family, friends, neighbors, etc.) as healthcare facilitators to improve appointment attendance. The investigators seek to determine whether this intervention is feasible and acceptable to patients and whether this intervention will improve attendance rates for screening mammograms among AA women at our institution. If effective, the use of a patient's social contact person as a healthcare facilitator (similar to a patient navigator) would be a readily available and inexpensive resource for other institutions to implement.

Enrollment: 156 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 40+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Patients:

• Female
• African American
• At least 40 years old
• Scheduled for a screening mammogram within 3 months following initiation of the study
• Willing and able to provide contact information for two adult social contacts (friends or family members)

Exclusion Criteria for Patients:

-Prior history of breast cancer

Inclusion Criteria for Social Contacts:

• At least 18 years old
• Selected by the patient as someone (family member or friend) who would be able to support her in keeping her mammogram appointment

Exclusion Criteria for Social Contacts:

-Less than 18 years of age

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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156 participants in 2 patient groups

Patient: Scheduled for mammogram

Experimental group

Description:

* Will be asked to choose 2 social contacts (adult family member or friend identified by the participant as someone who could be engaged by the research team to encourage the participant to attend her mammogram appointment) * Will receive reminder(s) from social contact about the screening mammogram appointment * Will receive reminder from Breast Health Center about screening mammogram appointment * Will be contacted to provide experience with the study

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Contact Reminder

Social Contact of Patient

No Intervention group

Description:

* Facilitate enrolled patient to complete the screening mammogram. * Will receive information about screening mammograms and resources available at the Breast Imaging Center. * Will be contacted approximately 3 days prior to the patient's mammogram appointment. * Will be contacted to provide experience with the study