Using a bilingual (English and Spanish) telephone survey including landlines and cell phone numbers, the researchers identified a representative sample of U.S. women aged 40 to 76 years meeting the following eligibility criteria: they had a mammographic screening within the prior two years, had no personal history of breast cancer, and had heard the term \u201cdense breasts\u201d or \u201cbreast density\u201d. They then assessed these women\u2019s reported experiences of conversations with their clinicians about breast density.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s reports of conversations varied significantly by race\/ethnicity; compared to non-Hispanic white women, non-Hispanic Black women more often reported being asked questions about breast cancer risk, and Hispanic and Asian women less often reported being asked about their worries or concerns or having their questions about breast density answered completely. Women with low literacy less frequently reported being asked about worries or concerns about breast density, that their mammogram results were discussed with them, or felt their questions were answered completely or mostly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy understanding women\u2019s experiences of such conversations, including whether physicians confer relevant information about breast cancer risk, screening options, or address patients\u2019 questions and concerns \u2013 all necessary components for shared decision making \u2013 can help identify strengths and address potential deficits,\u201d added Kressin.<\/p>\n![\"Headshot](\"\/camed\/files\/2015\/06\/Nancy-Kressin-1-e1647280209910.jpg\")
According to the researchers, this highlights a mismatch between patients\u2019 informational needs and material shared by clinicians. \u201cOne possibility is that clinicians limit the information offered to patients when discussing breast density, due to assumptions about the ability of patients with low literacy to understand information about screening or its consequences. Perhaps the information given was less comprehensible to women with low literacy, as prior research shows that some clinicians struggle with providing understandable information to such patients. Regardless, our findings suggest that women with low literacy want more or different information to meet their needs,\u201d said corresponding author Nancy Kressin<\/a>, PhD, professor of medicine.<\/p>\n