Do physicians tailor their recommendations for breast cancer risk reduction based on patient’s risk?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how physicians tailor their recommendations for breast cancer prevention and risk reduction. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, mail survey. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of primary care physicians in California (N = 822). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Six standardized patient scenarios were used to assess how women's breast cancer risk factors influence physicians' recommendations for screening mammography, counseling about lifestyle behaviors, genetic testing, the use of tamoxifen, prophylactic surgery, and referral to a breast specialist. Over 90% of physicians endorsed mammography for all of the scenarios. Similarly, approximately 80% of physicians endorsed counseling about lifestyle factors for all of the scenarios. Five-year risk of developing breast cancer and family history were both strongly associated with each of the 6 recommendations. Importantly, however, physicians were more likely to endorse the discussion of genetic testing, the use of tamoxifen, and prophylactic surgery for women with a family history of breast cancer compared with women at a higher risk of developing breast cancer but without a family history. Obstetrician-gynecologists were more likely to endorse most of these practices compared with internists. CONCLUSIONS: Mammography and counseling about lifestyle behaviors are widely endorsed by physicians for breast cancer prevention and risk reduction. Whereas physicians are generally able to tailor their recommendations for prevention and risk reduction based on risk, they may perhaps underutilize genetic evaluation and newer therapeutic options for primary prevention for women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer but do not have a family history.     

Why Do Patients of Female Physicians Have Higher Rates of Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening?

OBJECTIVE: Women are more likely to receive breast and cervical cancer screening if they see female physicians. We studied whether this is due to differences between male and female physicians, or to differences in their patients. SETTING: Large midwestern, independent practice association style of health plan. DESIGN: We surveyed male and female primary care physicians matched for age and specialty and a stratified random sample of three of each physician's women patients. Physicians reported on their practice setting, their attitudes and practices regarding prevention, and their comfort and skill with various examinations. Patients reported on their sociodemographic characteristics, their attitudes and practices regarding prevention, and their preferences for physician gender. Claims data were used to calculate mammography and Pap smear screening rates for the physicians PARTICIPANTS: We studied 154 female and 190 male internists and family physicians and 794 of their patients. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We compared the responses of male and female physicians and their patients and used multivariable analysis to identify the patient and physician factors that accounted for the differences in screening rates between male and female physicians. Female physicians were more likely to ask new patients about components of prevention, to believe in the effectiveness of mammography, to feel more personal responsibility for ensuring that their patients received screening, and to report more comfort in performing Pap smears and breast examinations. Patients of female physicians were more educated and less likely to be married, but did not differ in other sociodemographic characteristics. They had similar attitudes and practices regarding prevention, except that patients of male physicians were more likely to smoke. Significantly more patients of female physicians preferred a female for some component of care. In multivariable analyses, practice organization, patient preference for a female physician, and prevention orientation of female physicians accounted for up to 40% of screening rate differences between female and male physicians for Pap smears, and 33% for mammography. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in beliefs of male and female physicians and patient preference for a female provider contribute independently to the higher rate of breast and cervical cancer screening by female physicians.     

Feasibility of universal screening mammography. Lessons from a community intervention

It is estimated that 44,500 American women will die of breast cancer in 1991. The breast cancer screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute calling for annual mammography for all women older than 50 years have been endorsed by numerous professional groups. Third-party reimbursement for screening mammography is becoming more prevalent, and payment for screening mammography is now a Medicare benefit. Our studies, conducted as part of a National Cancer Institute grant to increase the routine use of screening mammography and clinical breast examination in women 50 to 75 years of age, have uncovered a number of significant barriers to the implementation of screening guidelines among women, primary care physicians, and providers of mammography services. These barriers, as well as methods to assure the quality of mammography, need to be addressed before universal screening is feasible.     

Determinants of colorectal cancer screening in women undergoing mammography

OBJECTIVES: Women who participate in screening for breast cancer are more likely to participate in screening for colorectal cancer. We studied such a motivated group of women to identify predictors of, and barriers to, participation in colorectal cancer screening by endoscopy. METHODS: We distributed surveys to 551 women > or = 50 yr of age while they were awaiting mammography at four sites in and around Boston, MA from June to September, 2000. The 40-question survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about, and behaviors toward, breast and colorectal cancer screening. Regression models were used to determine factors associated with having had sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent of the women completed all or part of the survey. Half (221/438) reported ever having had sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Of these, 93% did so at the recommendation of their primary care provider. Factors associated with participation in endoscopic screening included compliance with annual fecal occult blood testing, a family history of colorectal cancer, and indifference toward the gender of the doctor performing the endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Women undergoing mammography overwhelmingly cite the recommendation of their primary care provider as the reason for participating in colorectal cancer screening by endoscopy. Women who preferred a female endoscopist were less likely to have been screened. Whenever possible, primary care providers should offer women the choice of a female endoscopist for colorectal cancer screening.     

Using an office system intervention to increase breast cancer screening

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an innovative approach to continuing medical education, an outreach intervention designed to improve performance rates of breast cancer screening through implementation of office systems in community primary care practices. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial with primary care practices assigned to either the intervention group or control group, with the practice as the unit of analysis. SETTING: Twenty mostly rural counties in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians and staff of 62 randomly selected family medicine and general internal medicine practices, primarily fee-for-service, half group practices and half solo practitioners. INTERVENTION: Physician investigators and facilitators met with practice physicians and staff over a period of 12 to 18 months to provide feedback on breast cancer screening performance, and to assist these primary care practices in developing office systems tailored to increase breast cancer screening. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Physician questionnaires were obtained at baseline and follow-up to assess the presence of five indicators of an office system. Three of the five indicators of office systems increased significantly more in intervention practices than in control practices, but the mean number of indicators in intervention practices at follow-up was only 2.8 out of 5. Cross-sectional reviews of randomly chosen medical records of eligible women patients aged 50 years and over were done at baseline (n=2,887) and follow-up (n=2,874) to determine whether clinical breast examinations and mammography, were performed. Results for mammography were recorded in two ways, mention of the test in the visit note and actual report of the test in the medical record. These reviews showed an increase from 39% to 51% in mention of mammography in intervention practices, compared with an increase from 41% to 44% in control practices (p=.01). There was no significant difference, however, between the two groups in change in mammograms reported (intervention group increased from 28% to 32.7%; control group increased from 30.6% to 34.0%, p=.56). There was a nonsignificant trend (p=.06) toward a greater increase in performance of clinical breast examination in intervention versus control practices. CONCLUSIONS: A moderately intensive outreach intervention to increase rates of breast cancer screening through the development of office systems was modestly successful in increasing indicators of office systems and in documenting mention of mammography, but had little impact on actual performance of breast cancer screening. At follow-up, few practices had a complete office system for breast cancer screening. Outreach approaches to assist primary care practices implement office systems are promising but need further development. Presented in part at the 19th annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine, Washington, DC, May 1996. This research was supported under grant CA 54343-02 from the National Cancer Institute.     

Breast cancer screening for older women in a primary care practice

OBJECTIVE: To determine rates of breast cancer screening for older women cared for in a primary care practice and to identify associations between patient and physician characteristics and breast cancer screening. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of older women. SETTING: An urban hospital-based academic general medicine practice. This practice uses a computerized medical record and office procedures that facilitate tracking and ordering of mammograms. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 130 women aged 65 to 80 who receive primary care at a hospital-based general medicine practice. MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected from the hospital's computerized medical record. We recorded all clinical breast exams and mammograms performed or recommended during the 2-year study period. RESULTS: The median age of the 130 women studied was 71, and 21% of the women were black. Most patients had no serious comorbid illness (69%) and were independent in their activities of daily living (92%). During the 2-year study period, mammography was recommended for 95% of women and completed for 84%, and clinical breast exam was performed on 75%. Patients of male physicians had higher rates of mammography than patients of female physicians (89% vs. 75%, P = .045). Patients of faculty physicians had higher rates of clinical breast exam than patients of house officers or fellows (83% vs. 56%, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: We report a very high rate of mammography for women cared for at a hospital-based primary care practice. The systems in place to facilitate ordering and tracking of mammograms probably contributed to the unusually high rate of mammography observed.     

The risk factors of age and family history and their relationship to screening mammography utilization.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of two well known risk factors for breast cancer and the association of knowledge of those risk factors with mammography utilization. DESIGN: Cross sectional: two independent random telephone surveys. SETTING: Two Northeastern metropolitan communities surveyed in 1987 and in 1989. PARTICIPANTS: Women without breast cancer who spoke English and who were between 45 and 75 years of age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The two risk factors measured were a family history of breast cancer and being 65 or older. Participants were surveyed about their knowledge of risk factors, presence of risk factors, selected beliefs, attitudes, reinforcing factors and mammography use. Results were analyzed for women 50-75. RESULTS: There was a substantial increase in mammography use over the 2-year period. Having a positive family history or being older is not associated with increased mammography utilization. Knowledge that family history and/or age are risks is associated with increased utilization. However, knowledge of risk factors is not associated with having those risks. Older women have lower utilization than younger women regardless of their knowledge of age as a risk. Increased physician recommendation is associated with increased utilization. CONCLUSION: Since knowing that a factor is a risk and having a physician recommend mammography are each associated with increased use, we conclude that the primary care physicians' role in increasing mammography utilization is critical.     

Race and family history assessment for breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: Studies have demonstrated disparities in breast cancer screening between racial and ethnic groups. Knowledge of a woman's family history of breast cancer is important for initiating early screening interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences exist in the collection of family history information based on patient race. DESIGN: Cross-sectional patient telephone interview and medical record review. SETTING: Eleven primary care practices in the Greater Boston area, all associated with Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred fifty-nine women without a prior history of breast cancer who had been seen at least once by their primary care provider during the prior year. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data were collected on patients regarding self-reported race, family breast cancer history information, and breast cancer screening interventions. Twenty-six percent (462/1,759) of the sample had documentation within their medical record of a family history for breast cancer. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for patient age, education, number of continuous years in the provider's practice, language, and presentation with a breast complaint, white women were more likely to be asked about a breast cancer family history when compared to nonwhite women (odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 2.35). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of women seen by primary care providers do not have documentation of a family breast cancer history assessment within their medical record. White women were more likely to have family breast cancer information documented than nonwhites.     

Guideline-Inconsistent Breast Cancer Screening for Women over 50: A Vignette-Based Survey

BACKGROUND

Professional organizations have issued guidelines recommending breast cancer screening for women 50 years of age.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the percent of U.S. primary care physicians who report breast cancer screening practices that are not consistent with guidelines, and the characteristics of physicians who reported offering extra test modalities.

DESIGN

We analyzed a subset of a 2008 cross-sectional Women’s Health Care survey sent to primary care physicians randomly selected from the national American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile. A subset of physicians received a survey that presented a vignette of a health maintenance visit for an asymptomatic 51-year-old woman who was not at high risk for breast cancer. Responses were weighted to represent physicians nationally.

PARTICIPANTS

1,654 U.S. family physicians, general internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists under age 65, who practiced in office or hospital based settings (62.8 % response rate). After exclusions, 553 study physicians remained for analysis.

MAIN MEASURE

Physician self-report of breast cancer screening practices that are not consistent with the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the American Cancer Society (ACS), defined as almost always offering mammography.

KEY RESULTS

36.0 % (95 % CI: 31.8 %–40.5 %) of physicians reported offering breast cancer screening tests inconsistent with national guidelines, with most offering extra tests (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and/or ultrasound) (33.2 %, 95 % CI 29.1 %–37.6 %). In adjusted analysis, risk-averse physicians and those who believed in the clinical effectiveness of MRI were more likely to offer extra breast cancer screening tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians often report offering breast cancer screening test modalities beyond those recommended for a 51-year-old woman. Strategies, such as academic detailing regarding appropriate use of technology and provision of clinical decision support for breast cancer screening, could decrease overuse of resources.     

Are patients of women physicians screened more aggressively?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of physician gender on rates of Pap testing, mammography, and cholesterol testing when identifying and adjusting for demographic, psycho-social, and other patient variables known to influence screening rates. DESIGN: A prospective design with baseline and six-month follow-up assessments of patients’ screening status. SETTING: Twelve community-based group family practice medicine offices in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: 1,850 adult patients, aged 18–75 years (six-month response rate, 83%), each of whom identified one of 37 physicians as being his or her regular care provider. MAIN RESULTS: Where screening was indicated at baseline, the patients of the women physicians were 47% more likely to get a Pap test [odds ratio (OR)=1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.05, 2.04] and 56% more likely to get a cholesterol test (OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.08, 2.24) during the study period than were the patients of the men physicians. For mammography, the younger patients (aged 35–39 years) of the women physicians were screened at a much higher rate than were the younger patients of the men physicians (OR=2.69, 95% CI=0.98, 7.34); however, at older ages, the patients of the women and the men physicians had similar rates of screening. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the patients of the women physicians were screened at a higher rate than were the patients of the men physicians, even after adjusting for important patient variables. These findings were not limited to gender-specific screening activities (e.g.. Pap testing), as in some previous studies. However, the patients of the women physicians were aggressively screened for breast cancer at the youngest ages, where there is little evidence of benefit from mammography. Larger studies are needed to determine whether this pattern of effects reflects a broader phenomenon in primary care.     

Survey of physician attitudes toward HIV testing in pregnant women in Ohio

HIV infection among women of childbearing age is still increasing in the United States. In most states, HIV testing of women or neonates during pregnancy is not mandatory. The current study assessed HIV prenatal testing practices among obstetrician-gynecologists and primary care physicians listed in a regional physician referral data base in a predominantly rural region. Between December 2000 and March 2001 a 20-question survey was sent by mail to regional physicians in obstetrics/gynecology and primary care regarding physician practice demographics and prenatal HIV testing practices. Of 1116 surveys sent, 431 were returned (38.6% response). Only 42% of physicians offered universal HIV prenatal testing. Factors associated with universal testing (p < 0.5) included obstetrics/gynecology as the practice specialty (90%) physicians' age younger than 50 years, and a practice with predominantly Medicaid or African American patients. Further educational and public health initiatives may be needed to increase nonselective, universal HIV testing in pregnant women.     

Colorectal cancer screening: physicians' knowledge of risk assessment and guidelines, practice, and description of barriers and facilitators.

BACKGROUND: Physician nonadherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations contributes to underuse of screening. OBJECTIVE: To assess physicians' knowledge of CRC screening guidelines for average-risk individuals, perceived barriers to screening and practice behaviours. METHODS: Between October 2004 and March 2005, staff physicians working in three university-affiliated hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, were surveyed. Self-administered questionnaires assessed knowledge of risk classification and current guidelines for average-risk individuals, as well as perceptions of barriers to screening and practice behaviours. RESULTS: All 65 invited physicians participated in the survey, including 46 (70.8%) family medicine physicians and 19 (29.2%) general internists. Most physicians knew that screening should begin at 50 years of age, all knew to screen men and women and 92% said they screened average-risk patients. Fifty-seven (87.7%) physicians correctly identified three common characteristics associated with high risk for developing CRC. Physicians who screened average-risk patients preferred fecal occult blood testing (88.3%) and colonoscopy (88.3%) to flexible sigmoidoscopy (10.0%) and double-contrast barium enema (30.0%). Most physicians knew the correct screening periodicity for fecal occult blood testing (87.6%), but only 40% or fewer could identify correct screening periodicities for the other modalities. Barriers and facilitators focused on health care delivery system improvements, better evidence on which to base recommendations and development of practical screening modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians lacked knowledge of the recommended screening modalities and periodicities to appropriately screen average-risk individuals. Because CRC screening can reduce mortality, efforts to improve physician delivery should focus on physician knowledge and changes to the health care delivery system.     

Breat cancer risk and provider recommendation for mammography among recently unscreened women in the United States

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many women with increased breast cancer risk have not been screened recently. Provider recommendation for mammography is an important reason many women undergo screening. We examined the association between breast cancer risk and reported provider recommendation for mammography in recently unscreened women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using 2000 National Health Interview Survey. PARTICIPANTS: In all, 1673 women ages 40 to 75 years without cancer who saw a health care provider in the prior year and had no mammogram within 2 years. MEASUREMENTS AND ANALYSIS: We assessed breast cancer risk by Gail score and risk factors. We used multivariable logistic regression models in SUDAAN adjusted for age, race and illness burden, to examine the association between risk and reported recommendation for mammography within 1 year for all women and women ages 50 to 75 years. RESULTS: Of 1673 recently unscreened women, 29% reported a recommendation. Twelve percent of women had increased Gail risk and of these recently unscreened, high-risk women, 25% reported a recommendation. After adjustment, high-risk women were not more likely to report a recommendation than average-risk women. Results were similar for women 50 to 75 years old. No individual breast cancer factors other than age were associated with reporting a recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 70% of recently unscreened women seen by a health care provider in the prior year reported no recommendation for mammography, regardless of breast cancer risk. This did not include women who received a recommendation and were screened. Increasing reported recommendation rates may represent an opportunity to increase screening participation among recently unscreened women, particularly for women with increased breast cancer risk.     

Screening mammography in the elderly

This case-control study tested the hypothesis that elderly women with metastatic breast cancer were previously screened less than controls. Cases included women over 60 years old who had metastatic breast cancer; the tumor registry provided controls. Identical criteria yielded comparable groups (cases = 109, controls = 211) receiving primary care at this tertiary center. Radiology and medical records were examined for mammograms; these were blindly categorized "diagnostic," "screening," or "indeterminant." The major, unexpected finding was that less than 6% of controls had ever had screening mammography. The associations between screening and metastatic cancer (odds ratios) suggest a beneficial effect of screening: OR/0.73 for ever screened and OR/0.71 if screened within the year of cancer diagnosis. All confidence intervals include one; however, low screening participation leaves this study with little power. The major implication is that despite the current recommendations, the elderly are not being included in screening mammography programs.     

Beliefs and expectations of women under 50 years old regarding screening mammography

OBJECTIVE: Because shared decision making has been recommended for screening mammography by women under age 50, we studied women's decision-making process regarding the procedure. DESIGN: Qualitative research design using in-depth semi-structured interviews. PATIENTS: Sixteen white and African-American women aged 38 to 45 receiving care at a large New England medical practice. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified the following content areas in women's decision-making process: intentions for screening, motivating factors to undergo screening, attitudes toward screening mammography, attitudes toward breast cancer, and preferences for information and shared decision making. In our sample, all women had or intended to have a screening mammogram before age 50. They were motivated by the awareness of the recommendation to begin screening at age 40, knowing others with breast cancer, and a sense of personal responsibility for their health. Participants feared breast cancer and thought the benefits of screening mammography far outweighed its risks. Women's preferences for involvement in decision making varied from wanting full responsibility for screening decisions to deferring to their medical providers. All preferred the primary care provider to be the main source of information, yet the participants stated that their own providers played a limited role in educating them about the risks and benefits of screening and the mammography procedure itself. Most of their information was derived from the media. CONCLUSIONS: The women in this study demonstrated little ambivalence in their desire for mammography screening prior to age 50. They reported minimal communication with their medical providers about the risks and benefits of screening. Better information flow regarding mammography screening is necessary. Given the lack of uncertainty among women's perceptions regarding screening mammography, shared decision making in this area may be difficult to achieve.     

Friend or foe? How primary care physicians perceive hospitalists

BACKGROUND: Increased use of hospitalists is redefining the role of primary care physicians. Whether primary care physicians welcome this transition is unknown. We examined primary care physicians' perceptions of how hospitalists affect their practices, their patient relationships, and overall patient care. METHODS: A mailed survey of randomly selected general internists, general pediatricians, and family practitioners with experience with hospitalists practicing in California. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physicians' self-reports of hospitalists' effects on quality of patient care and on their own practices. RESULTS: Seven hundred eight physicians were eligible for this study, and there was a 74% response rate. Of the 524 physicians who responded, 34% were internists, 38% were family practitioners, and 29% were pediatricians. Of the 524 respondents, 335 (64%) had hospitalists available to them and 120 (23%) were required to use hospitalists for all admissions. Physicians perceived hospitalists as increasing (41%) or not changing (44%) the overall quality of care and perceived their practice style differences as neutral or beneficial. Twenty-eight percent of primary care physicians believed that the quality of the physician-patient relationship decreased; 69% reported that hospitalists did not affect their income; 53% believed that hospitalists decreased their workload; and 50% believed that hospitalists increased practice satisfaction. In a multivariate model predicting physician perceptions, internists, physicians who attributed loss of income to hospitalists, and physicians in mandatory hospitalist systems viewed hospitalists less favorably. CONCLUSIONS: Practicing primary care physicians have generally favorable perceptions of hospitalists' effect on patients and on their own practice satisfaction, especially in voluntary hospitalist systems that decrease the workload of primary care physicians and do not threaten their income. Primary care physicians, particularly internists, are less accepting of mandatory hospitalist systems. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:2902-2908     

Effect of part-time practice on patient outcomes

BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians are spending fewer hours in direct patient care, yet it is not known whether reduced hours are associated with differences in patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patient outcomes vary with physicians' clinic hours. DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective design assessing primary care practices in 1998. SETTING: All 25 outpatient-clinics of a single medical group in western Washington. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-four family practitioners and general internists, 80% of whom were part-time, who provided ambulatory primary care services to specified HMO patient panels. Physician appointment hours ranged from 10 to 35 per week (30% to 100% of full time). MEASUREMENTS: Twenty-three measures of individual primary care physician performance collected in an administrative database were aggregated into 4 outcome measures: cancer screening, diabetic management, patient satisfaction, and ambulatory costs. Multivariate regression on each of the 4 outcomes controlled for characteristics of physicians (administrative role, gender, seniority) and patient panels (size, case mix, age, gender). MAIN RESULTS: While the effects were small, part-time physicians had significantly higher rates for cancer screening (4% higher, P =.001), diabetic management (3% higher, P =.033), and for patient satisfaction (3% higher, P =.035). After controlling for potential confounders, there was no significant association with patient satisfaction (P =.212) or ambulatory costs (P =.323). CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians working fewer clinical hours were associated with higher quality performance than were physicians working longer hours, but with patient satisfaction and ambulatory costs similar to those of physicians working longer hours. The trend toward part-time clinical practice by primary care physicians may occur without harm to patient outcomes.     

Referral gridlock

BACKGROUND: Patients' barriers to mental health services are well documented and include social stigma, lack of adequate insurance coverage, and underdiagnosis by primary care physicians. Little is known, however, about challenges primary care physicians face arranging mental health referrals and hospitalizations. OBJECTIVE: To examine how practice setting and environment influence primary care physicians' ability to refer patients for medically necessary mental health services. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis using nationally representative survey data from the 1998 to 1999 Community Tracking Study physician survey. The overall survey response rate was 61%. PARTICIPANTS: A 1998 to 1999 telephone survey of 6586 primary care physicians. MEASUREMENTS: Primary care physicians' report of whether they could obtain medically necessary referrals to high-quality mental health specialists or psychiatric admissions. RESULTS: Overall, 54% of primary care physicians reported problems obtaining psychiatric hospital admissions, and 54% reported problems arranging outpatient mental health referrals. Primary care physicians practicing in staff and group model HMOs were much less apt to report difficulties than physicians in solo and small-group practices (P <.001). Reports of inadequate time with patients (P <.001) and smaller numbers of psychiatrists in a market area (P <.01) also were associated with problems obtaining mental health referrals. Pediatricians were more apt to report problems than general internists (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians face greater hurdles obtaining mental health services than other medical services. Primary care is an important entry point for mental health services, yet inadequate referral systems between medical and mental health services may be hampering access.     

Is screening mammography effective in elderly women

PURPOSE: Screening mammography is effective in reducing breast cancer mortality in women between the ages of 50 and 69 years. We sought to determine whether older women who undergo screening mammography have a decreased risk of metastatic breast cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 690,993 women aged 66 to 79 years who were California Medicare beneficiaries from January 1992 to December 1993, and who chose the fee-for-service plan. Health Care Financing Administration part B billing records were used to determine the use of screening mammography. The extent of breast cancer (in situ, local, regional, or metastatic) was ascertained for the 6,767 women who were diagnosed with the disease in 1993, using data from the California State Cancer Registry. For each type (extent) of breast cancer, the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence (CI) of developing breast cancer was estimated by dividing the risk of its development in screened women by the risk in women who were not screened. RESULTS: A total of 46% of women had mammography during the 2-year study period. In situ, local, and regional breast cancer were more likely to be detected among women who underwent screening mammography. For example, the relative risk of detecting local breast cancer in screened women was 3.3 (95% CI: 3.1 to 3.5). The risk of detecting metastatic breast cancer, on the other hand, was significantly reduced among women aged 66 to 79 years who underwent screening mammography (RR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.72). CONCLUSION: Screening mammography is associated with a decreased risk of detecting metastatic breast cancer among elderly women. Public health recommendations need to weigh the benefit of screening elderly women against the cost and potential harm from screening and treating early lesions that may have no effect on mortality.