How to Minimize Patient Anxiety From Screening Mammography

Abstract

Anxiety has been portrayed by the media and some organizations and societies as one of the harms of mammography. However, one experiences anxiety in multiple different medical tests that are undertaken, including screening examinations; it is not unique to mammography. Some may argue that because this anxiety is transient, the so-called harm is potentially overstated, but for some women the anxiety is significant. Anxiety can increase or decrease the likelihood of obtaining a screening mammogram. There are multiple ways that anxiety associated with screening mammography can be diminished, including before, during, and after the examination. These include simple measures such as patient education, improved communication, being aware of the patient’s potential discomfort and addressing it, validating the patient’s anxiety as well as providing the patient with positive factual data that can easily be implemented in every breast center. More complex interventions include altering the breast center environment with multisensory stimulation, reorganization of patient flow to minimize wait times, and relaxation techniques including complementary and alternative medicine. In this article we will review the literature on measures that can be taken to minimize anxiety that would maximize the likelihood of a woman obtaining an annual screening mammogram.

Lung cancer screening program factors that influence psychosocial outcomes: A systematic review

“…In cervical and breast cancer screening programs, service delivery components that have been shown to impact outcomes like anxiety include the method of results communication (letter, telephone, in-person), wait times between different touchpoints on the screening pathway, and patient-centred interactions with healthcare staff. 9,10 In addition to inherent (but modifiable) service delivery components, screening programs often implement targeted interventions either to help achieve the program's primary goal (e.g., interventions to improve uptake) or to capitalise on opportunities for improving other outcomes (e.g., interventions to promote smoking cessation).…”

“…For psychosocial outcomes, key service delivery design issues can include both logistic (e.g., service accessibility, wait times, LDCT procedures) and outreach‐based aspects (e.g., recruitment and invitation, communication of results, referral processes). In cervical and breast cancer screening programs, service delivery components that have been shown to impact outcomes like anxiety include the method of results communication (letter, telephone, in‐person), wait times between different touchpoints on the screening pathway, and patient‐centred interactions with healthcare staff 9,10 …”