Department of Radiology
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Amornsiripanitch 2021

 

Year: 2021

Title: Patients characteristics related to screening mammography cancellation and rescheduling rates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Country: United States

Age: Adult Only

Sex: Female

Population: Multiple Groups

Care Setting: Outpatient Ambulatory and Primary Care

Clinical Setting: Breast Cancer Screening

Data Level: Single Institution

Data Type: EHR

Data Source: Local data

Conclusion: Disparities In All Minority Groups

Health OutComes Reported: No

Mitigation: No

Free Text Conclusion: Non-whites had a higher rate of screening mammogram cancellation compared to Whites both before COVID-19 and after reopening. The disparity in screening mammography frequency persisted and exacerbated during the pandemic.

Abstract: PURPOSE: To identify patient characteristics associated with screening mammography cancellations and rescheduling during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Scheduled screening mammograms during three time periods were retrospectively reviewed: state- mandated shutdown (3/17/2020-6/16/2020) during which screening mammography was cancelled, a period of 2 months immediately after screening mammography resumed (6/17/2020-8/16/2020), and a representative period prior to COVID-19 (6/17/2019-8/16/2019). Relative risk of cancellation before COVID-19 and after reopening was compared for age, race/ethnicity, insurance, history of chronic disease, and exam location, controlling for other collected variables. Risk of failure to reschedule was similarly compared between all 3 time periods. RESULTS: Overall cancellation rate after reopening was higher than before shutdown (7663/16595, 46% vs 5807/ 15792, 37%; p <0.001). Relative risk of cancellation after reopening increased with age (1.20 vs 1.27 vs 1.36 for ages at 25th, 50th, and 75th quartile or 53, 61, and 70 years, respectively, p <0.001). Relative risk of cancellation was also higher among Medicare patients (1.41) compared to Medicaid and those with other providers (1.26 and 1.21, respectively, p <0.001) and non-whites compared to whites (1.34 vs 1.25, p =0.03). Rescheduling rate during shutdown was higher than before COVID-19 and after reopening for all patients (10,658/13593, 78%, 3569/5807, 61%, and 4243/7663, respectively, 55%, p <0.001). Relative risk of failure to reschedule missed mammogram was higher in hospitals compared to outpatient settings both during shutdown and after reopening (0.62 vs 0.54, p =0.005 and 1.29 vs 1.03, p <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Minority race/ethnicity, Medicare insurance, and advanced age were associated with increased risk of screening mammogram cancellation during COVID-19.