Mammography Result Notification Letters: Are They Easy to Read and Understand?

Abstract

The letters we analyzed were written at levels too difficult for many patients to understand. Future investigations should explore clearer ways of communicating mammography results.

How do Breast Imaging Centers Communicate Results to Women with Limited English Proficiency and Other Barriers to Care?

“…These findings are consistent with past investigations identifying a general need to improve the communication of breast imaging results and suggesting that result notification letters alone are inadequate in ensuring that every woman understands her personal results and follow-up plan [18, 20, 21]. …”

“…Women of black race and those of Hispanic/Latina ethnicity, when compared with non-Hispanic white women, are also at increased risk of being less adequately informed about their result [6, 19]. Furthermore, research suggests that mammography result notification letters are written at levels too difficult for many patients to understand [20, 21]. This is particularly concerning because more than 1 in 3 US adults has limited health literacy [22], with prevalence rates that are higher in poor and ethnic minority communities [22, 23].…”

Urban Women’s Preferences for Learning of Their Mammogram Result: A Qualitative Study

“…Participants evinced great difficulty trying to understand a typical result letter, suggesting that current written methods of communicating findings leave women confused about their results and follow-up plan. The women's difficulty interpreting the meaning of the letter is consistent with previous analyses suggesting result notifications are written at a level that is beyond the reach of much of the US population [12]. It is also in keeping with earlier research that found that women were more likely to report their result incorrectly if they said they had been notified by letter alone and not told of their result verbally [10].…”

“…In surveys conducted in Northern California and Connecticut, large percentage of ethnic minority women reported the wrong result or indicated that they did not know their result [10,11]. Recent research also indicates that the letters sent out under federal law may be written at levels too difficult for much of the US population to understand [12].…”

The PAADRN Study: A design for a randomized controlled practical clinical trial to improve bone health

“…These changes at KP and UI reflect modest progress towards sharing test results with patients. However, many of these systems have given little thought to health literacy, numeracy or the educational level of the patient [49, 50]. The intervention used in this study was developed with health literacy and numeracy in mind, was evaluated by our target audience and provides immediate information on how patients can improve their bones.…”