OBJECTIVES

Patient-provider communication plays an important role in quality of care and medical adherence. Previous research has found that physicians who spend more time with patients and engage in more patient-centered communication are more successful in engaging patients in preventative care. Little is known, however, about which aspects of communication, if any, promote breast cancer screening, especially since the time required for physician compliance with all preventative care recommendations is a barrier to screening. We aim to assess attributes of communication by using a nationally representative sample.

METHODS

Pooled data were analyzed from the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). We extracted respondents covered by U.S. Preventative Services Task Force guidelines who reported having a regular provider in the last year and constructed seven multivariate logistic equation models, adjusting for race, age, education, income, household size, health insurance, marital status, general health, past cancer diagnosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, lung disease, arthritis, and depression. Each available communication variables was used as a predictor in a model to assess the relationship between patient-provider communication and mammography rates.

RESULTS

Among these 2,487 respondents, 498 (20.0%) reported that their last mammogram was outside of guidelines (>2 years since their most recent mammogram). Three of these communication variables were statistically significant at the P<.05 level: whether the respondent felt like their feelings were addressed (AOR=1.89; P<0.04; C-Statistic=0.74); whether the respondent felt the provider spent enough time (AOR=1.96; P<0.03; C-Statistic=0.74); and whether the respondent felt the provider helped them deal with feelings of uncertainty (AOR=2.66; P <0.001; C-Statistic=0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that three aspects of communication are associated with adherence to mammography guidelines: addressing patients’ feelings, spending enough time with patients, and helping patients deal with feelings of uncertainty. Patient-centered care should seek to emphasize patient-provider communication in order to improve outcomes.