Long-term Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase Cancer Screening Among Attendees of Community Health Centers

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Cancer Screening at Baseline, 12 Months’, and 24 Months’ Follow-up

	Percentage of Patients Up-To-Date
Variable	Baseline	12 Months	24 Months
Papanicolaou smears
Control	57.6	48.2	45.3
Intervention	61.9	62.4	47.3
Mammograms
Control	75.9	71.1	64.5
Intervention	71.4	75.7	67.0
Fecal occult blood tests
Total sample
Control	22.1	11.9	12.6
Intervention	35.9	40.1	28.2
Men
Control	22.5	12.2	11.0
Intervention	28.3	41.4	27.3
Women
Control	22.1	11.9	13.0
Intervention	38.1	39.7	28.5

Table 2.

Results of Multivariate Analyses on Intervention Effects

Variable	Odds Ratio	95% CI	PValue
CI = confidence interval; FOBT = fecal occult blood test.
Papanicolaou smears (n = 1,103)	0.88	0.68–1.15	.34
Mammograms (n = 1,844)	1.26	1.02–1.55	.03
FOBT (n = 2,009)	1.17	0.92–1.48	.19
Men	1.33	0.78–2.27	.30
Women	1.13	0.87–1.46	.37

The Article in Brief

As described in the November/December 2004 issue of the Annals, a system was developed to promote three cancer screening tests (mammograms, Pap smears, and fecal occult blood tests) in primary care clinics that serve disadvantaged patients. In this follow-up study, researchers found that after 2 years, the system had an ongoing, but modest, effect on screening for cancer. Patients who received care at a clinic using the system were up-to-date on a greater number of targeted screening tests and had 26% greater odds of mammography screening compared with other patients. The system still had an effect after 2 years, but the effect was less than it had been at 1 year. Further work is needed to develop longer term solutions.