Studies from Emory University Provide New Data on Breast Cancer Screening (Effect of Sociodemographic Factors On Utilization of an Online Patient Portal To Self-schedule Screening Mammography: a Cross-sectional Study): Diagnostics and Screening – Breast Cancer Screening

2022 OCT 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Diagnostics and Screening - Breast Cancer Screening. According to news reporting out of Atlanta, Georgia, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “The aim of this study was to assess for sociodemographic factors associated with the use of an online patient portal to self-schedule screening mammography (SM) compared with the traditional scheduling pathway (phone call and referral system). A retrospective study was conducted at an urban quaternary care academic medical center with patient portal access to the electronic health record.”

Funders for this research include Massachusetts General Hospital, Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Emory University, “All female patients undergoing SM at the institution from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, were included. The institutional data warehouse was queried to extract the following variables: patient scheduling pathway (online self-scheduled vs traditional), age, language, race/ethnicity, health insurance provider, and ZIP code. ZIP code was linked to census data to extract the following: computer with Internet access, median household income, and education level. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with using the online self-scheduling pathway for SM. A total of 46,083 patients met the inclusion criteria. Three hundred two (0.7%) used the online self-scheduling pathway. Patients using the online self-scheduling pathway had higher odds of being younger (odds ratio [OR] for age in years, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.96), being English speakers (OR, 21.3; 95% CI, 2.9-153.9), being White non-Hispanic (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.5), and having commercial insurance (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1). Patients using the online self-scheduling pathway had higher odds of living in ZIP-code areas with higher access to computers with Internet connection (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) and lower rates of education at or above the college level (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-1.00). Patient median household income by ZIP code was not significantly associated with use of the online self-scheduling pathway.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Patients with limited English proficiency, those of racial/ethnic minorities, those who were older, and those without commercial insurance were less likely to use an online self-scheduling pathway for SM.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Effect of Sociodemographic Factors On Utilization of an Online Patient Portal To Self-schedule Screening Mammography: a Cross-sectional Study. Journal of the American College of Radiology, 2022;19(7):866-873. Journal of the American College of Radiology can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of the American College of Radiology - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-the-american-college-of-radiology/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Patricia Balthazar, Emory University, Dept. of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine, 1365-A Clifton Rd NE, Suite & 627, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States. Additional authors for this research include Anand K. Narayan, Nicholas Reid, Efren Flores and Randy C. Miles.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2022.03.003. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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