RECRUITMENT FOR BREAST SCREENING IN A RURAL PRACTICE - TRIAL OF A PHYSICIANS LETTER OF INVITATION

OBJECTIVE To evaluate a systematic effort to recruit women for breast screening. DESIGN AND SETTING Individually addressed letters, signed b y the women's physician (followed by reminder letters and telephone ca lls as necessary) were sent to women in a rural family practice, promp ting them to make an appointment for breast screening at the Ontario B reast Screening Program - the Kingston Centre. PARTICIPANTS Women were eligible to receive a letter if they were aged 50 to 69, had not had a mammogram for at least 12 months, and did not have a previous diagno sis of breast cancer or current acute symptoms of breast disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Response rates were measured to the initial letter, the reminder letter, and the telephone call. Women who came to the bre ast screening centre as a result of this recruitment effort were surve yed on their reaction to the letter. RESULTS The response rate, as mea sured 9 months after the initial letters were sent, was 57.5%; 38% of respondents to the initial letter and 49% of respondents to the remind er letter said they would not have come to the centre without the lett er. Both the breast screening program managers and the family physicia ns involved considered the project a success. CONCLUSION Integrating w ith an organized breast screening program is one way for busy family p hysicians systematically to involve their patients in an early detecti on program without unduly burdening physicians or disrupting normal pa tient care.