Whose mammogram is this anyway? Perspectives on technology, breast health and mammography

ABSTRACT

There is an increasing demand to ensure that emerging health technologies are patient-centred. Yet, understanding what constitutes patient-centredness can be a complex task, particularly in relation to screening technologies, where lack of patient-centred design can result in decreased compliance with screening recommendations. This holds true for breast cancer screening, where nearly 80% of women do not comply with screening mammography recommendations. To support patient-centred design of breast screening systems, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who could provide diverse perspectives on breast screening, including mammographers, breast cancer survivors, and self-identified mammography avoiders. Interviews explored opinions and attitudes surrounding current screening technology and systems, and ways in which screening might be conducted in the future. Using an inductive, constructivist approach, we identified several themes that should be considered when designing breast screening technology and systems. Concerns regarding the current processes and needs for support in relation to self-advocacy were revealed. Interest in improved technology was wide-spread, but feelings of inadequacy limited acceptance of self-screening designs. This study showcased the opportunities for design scholarship to improve the breast cancer screening process and, potentially enhance the patient–provider relationship.

KEYWORDS:

• Breast cancer
• care anywhere design
• patient empowerment
• screening guidelines

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by a grant from the Interdisciplinary Intercampus Research Fund, University of Missouri System.

Notes on contributors

Allison Kabel

Allison Kabel is a medical anthropologist at the University of Missouri who has conducted research in health-related settings in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Her research interests include the concept of personhood, social participation and issues at the intersection of culture, health and identity.

Carla Allen

Carla Allen teaches for the Radiography Program in the School of Health Professions at the University of Missouri. Her goals include improving the delivery and quality of radiologic sciences education on a more global basis. She constantly strives to produce and publish high-quality research in instructional design, and exploration of the design, support and evaluation of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.

Jessica Dimka

Jessica Dimka is a biological anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology at Temple University specializing in epidemiology and agent-based modelling.