Monday, 25 Nov 2024

Opinion | How to Improve Mammogram Rates

To the Editor:

Re “Putting the Glam in Mammogram” (Thursday Styles, June 6):

While massages and goody bags are nice inducements to get a mammogram, as you report some clinics are doing, it is more essential to provide culturally competent staff members to increase mammogram rates among those with less access to care.

Look at the facts: Only 30 percent of uninsured women of mammogram age report getting a mammogram in the last two years, compared with 72 percent of their counterparts with private insurance (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2015).

Increasing screening in all populations is important, but it is more economically sound for hospitals and payers to invest in preventive care in underserved populations to avoid potential costly treatments in the future.

Marissa Young
New York
The writer is a graduate student in public health.

Source: Read Full Article

Related Posts