A new study analyzes legislation on notification and assurance of dense breasts

July 27, 2018

The increased awareness of the density of bad tissue masking cancer and thereby decreasing the diagnostic sensitivity of mammography has resulted in relevant state-level policies. This new study by Harvey L. Neiman's Health Policy Institute examines what features of bad density level policies were badociated with increased use of downstream bad ultrasound to improve early detection of bad cancer. The study is published in Medical Care .

Horny and colleagues used a sample of 13,481,554 screening mammograms from the MarketScan Research database conducted between 2007 and 2014 on private insured women aged 40 to 64 years. resided in a state that had implemented relevant legislation during that period. The result was an indicator of whether bad ultrasound imaging followed a mammography screening procedure within 30 days. The main independent variables were the policy characteristic indicators.

"In 2018, 31 states enacted laws in response to mammography issues in women with increased bad density," said Michal Horný.PhD, badistant professor in departments of radiology and imaging science and health policy and practice management at Emory University and affiliated researcher at the Neiman Institute. "Of the 31 states that have adopted dense bad tissue legislation identified at the time of screening mammography, 20 states have done so by the end of 2014. We have identified the characteristics of the policies implemented in these countries. 20 states from the published literature.

Patient notification of problems with increased bad density was badociated with an increase in ultrasound follow-up of 1.02 percentage points. Some features of the policy, such as the explicit suggestion of additional imaging or mandatory coverage of additional imaging by Medicare, have amplified this effect. "The heterogeneous effect of state legislation on dense mammary tissue on mammographic ultrasound screening follow-up probably explains by specific and unique features of the unique legislative approaches adopted by various states." "said Richard Duszak, MD, FACR, professor and vice president of health policy and practice at the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory University and senior affiliate researcher at The Neiman Institute.