Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6239657 | Health Policy | 2014 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Despite the intensive controversies about the likelihood of benefits and harms of mammography screening almost all experts conclude that the choice to screen or not to screen needs to be made by the individual patient who is adequately informed. However, the “European guideline for quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis” specifies a participation rate of 70% as the key performance indicator for mammography screening. This paper argues that neither the existing evidence on benefits and harms, nor survey research with women, nor compliance rates in clinical trials, nor cost-effectiveness ratios justify participation rates as a reasonable performance indicator for preference-sensitive condition such as mammography screening. In contrast, an informed choice rate would be more reasonable. Further research needs to address the practical challenges in assessing informed choice rates.
Related Topics
Health Sciences
Medicine and Dentistry
Public Health and Health Policy
Authors
Daniel Strech,