Abstract
"OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the effectiveness of the regional law No.1035 enacted in 2009 by the local government of the Emilia- Romagna Region (Northern Italy) with the purpose of revising the rules of access to breast-care services. The law dictated the extension of the organised mammography screening programme to women aged 45-49 and 70-74 years in order to decrease their spontaneous screening rates and, thus, the waiting times for the access to diagnostic mammography by women of all ages.
DESIGN: study of time trends (joinpoint regression analysis and before/ after analysis) in annual percent mammography rates and in waiting times for access to clinical radiology facilities (2006-2014) among resident women. The information was taken from the regional Department of Health.
SETTING: public and accredited private radiology facilities.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: age-specific and waiting-time-specific (months) percent rates of organised screening mammography, spontaneous screening mammography, and diagnostic mammography.
RESULTS: following the regional law No.1035, screening rates among women aged 45-49 and 70-74 years reached levels comparable to those attained by women aged 50-69 years. Spontaneous screening rates dropped and waiting times for spontaneous screening mammography (women aged 40-44 years) were cut. For diagnostic mammography, the rates remained stable, except for a decrease among women aged 35-39 and 45-49 years, and waiting times decreased in a constant manner over the study period.
CONCLUSIONS: the above-mentioned law met most of its goals. Comprehensive programmes regulating mammography practice at the population level can be effective."
Translated title of the contribution | Extension of the target age range of mammography screening programme and governance of mammography practice in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy) |
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Original language | Italian |
Pages (from-to) | 38-45 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Epidemiologia e prevenzione |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 23 2017 |
Keywords
- English Abstract
- Journal Article