Understanding womens experiences with breast screening services - Essay Example

Understanding Women's experiences with Breast Screening Services A descriptive Research Number: Table of Content Abstract : 03 Introduction and Background : 04 Methods : 06 Ethical Consideration : 06 Analysis : 07 Findings and recommendations : 07 Limitations : 07 References : 09 Abstract The aim of this non-experimental study is to determine women's satisfaction and experience with breast cancer screening along with other psychological and practical factors involved in the process. This research will descriptively analyse and report a qualitative study. This report will also include an interpretation of the analysis explaining the findings, limitations and ethical considerations of the study. The reported study has established that, over all, women agreed that they experience high level of satisfaction in their screening. While, concerns about mammogram discomfort and fear of risk involved with the radiation are a cause of concern. A greater realization, by the health educators on the discomfort and pain together with the anxiety of radiation risks women experience, is recommended for the better satisfaction and well being. Introduction and Background Importance of the research Women around the world are particularly at a risk of suffering from breast cancer even with improved medical facilities. The factors that influence breast health are mostly known to the world. It is important to notice more than 80% of breast cancer can be treated and healed if diagnosed at the early stage (Lane.A.J and Martin M. 2005). Mammography has been found as the best way to recognize breast cancer at the earliest stage. It recognizes the lump on the breast at least three years before a woman can recognize it from the breast examination. (Hawkins H. 2001) Women are given an accurate result after the mammogram and then on they are contacted at regular intervals thus it is widely assumed that the breast cancer screening evoke very little psychological concerns. Nevertheless, there can be false positive results which can of course, cause added psychological pressure to the women. These women are those who got a clear report following a detailed investigation. 'Assessment can include further mammograms, physical examination, ultrasound, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), surgical biopsy, and being placed on early recall (placed under surveillance and asked to come back for breast screening before the normal three years, most often after six or 12 months). It is possible that, within this broad group of 'false positives', the duration for which women suffer adverse psychological consequences and their intensity may differ, depending on the implications of the process undergone' (Austoker J and Brett J 1998). The study had found that almost all the women who had to under go a further investigation process had suffered higher adverse results compared to the one time examinees. Mostly, the nature and extent of the further investigation inflicted on the women often determines the amount of adverse effect experienced by them. This would explain health-related behaviors and provide a foundation for developing and testing interventions to influence both behaviors and environmental conditions affecting the behaviors. The first part of examination must be component of the model is the diagnostic phase that is useful for identifying the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing constructs associated with the phenomenon and the second part of the examination needs to be the development phase outlining the policy, regulatory, and organizational constructs. The first part directs attention to what must precede the desired outcome, in this case, a woman getting a mammogram. In order to determine what causes the desired outcome, the factors important to that outcome must be diagnosed before intervention strategies can be designed. Without an adequate diagnosis of the important factors, the investigator runs the risk of designing ineffective intervention strategies (Frits. P.R 2003). The health and health risks are often caused by multiple behavioral, environmental and social factors. Studies have previously reported that an initial false-positive result causes anxiety, even after the receipt of a true negative. The belief that one is healthy has been challenged. One can speculate that the greater the extent of investigations carried out on women during breast screening, the more convinced they are that something could be wrong even after receiving a clear result (Centers for disease control 200). Schmlaz K.J and Goldman K.D (2001) undertook a pseudo test on college students and found that when people received two unclear results, they were by that time convinced that they were sick even though the final result was clear. This could explain why those who reported the greatest anxiety were those in the benign biopsy group and in the early recall group, both groups having received two unclear results before having a final investigation. Scope of the Report The above said factors reveal the significance of this report among the health educators and health professionals. A number of predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors needs necessarily be identified in this study. These well designed qualitative studies have served to validate the factors and provide additional answers to the posed research question. Further analysis based on findings from those investigations will be warranted for the development and testing of intervention strategies that increase breast health behaviors among women. Such interventions will ultimately lead to better health outcomes and will provide a natural link to interventions necessary to support follow-up and treatment to women. Research Problem A motivation often to have a breast screening for any woman is that breast screens give me a sense of control over my health and wellbeing. A key indicator related to access to quality health care has been found to be the use of preventive services (Kim Y. and Sarna L 2004). In spite of all these women who under go breast cancer screening suffer a number of adverse effects. Considering the scenario, it is greatly essential to know, does the relaxation, freedom and confidence the breast cancer screening gives overweigh the adverse psychological effect the extended process may inflict on a woman Aims and Objectives The aims of this non-experimental research are to discover the characteristics and satisfactory level of the women who attended the breast screening. And to evaluate their responses to the qualitative studies being reported in this paper. So that in the future the health educators and health professional can have it handy in better serving their purpose. Methods The follow up study is undertaken on the collective findings of the qualitative research previously conducted. The questioner for the survey was designed in such a way to analyse the following factors such as A) the reason for undergoing the breast screens, B) The reason for using such breast screening service provider, C) The role each of the participant take in a breast screening section, and their personal concerns. The study has specially looked upon them on their experiences in the following aspects, mainly, Adverse psychological consequences and anxiety, then, perceived vulnerability to getting breast cancer. Then a comparison is made between the observations of the three different questionnaires from all different studies. Socio-demographic information was obtained from the results of the previous questionnaire The final analysis is based on and with greater consideration of the age difference of the variables and the number and frequency of the breast screening they underwent. Moreover, if they fall in the group of falls positive. Ethical Considerations The main prospect of the professionals in this field needs to be reducing the mortality rates from breast cancer. 'The General Medical Council's recently published guidelines on seeking patients' consent has a specific section on consent to screening in which it says You should be careful to explain clearly the likelihood of positive/negative findings and possibility of false positive/ negative results' (General medical council 1999). However, paying at most respect to the persons right to get an accurate and clean result after the screening seems to be ethical consideration to have significance. The attention it has received from the mass media, which may create uncertainty among women about whether they should participate in the screening programme, should not be ignored. Analysis In all those three studies, the researchers reviewed the literature and were unable to locate an instrument that met the specific survey needs of being completed. Based upon the literature and the experience of the researchers, the research team developed surveys to elicit information related to women who have undergone the screening. Following data collection the data were entered on an excel document for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data obtained. Findings and Recommendations The participant's response to the program s effectiveness was very positive and encouraging. Excellently more than 90% of the participants who are fulltime professionals showed as enjoying 100% good health. While, the rest of them had a tension free mind as far as the breast cancer is concerned. Most of the participants 100% agreed to the fact that the benefits of breast cancer screening outweigh whatever negatives it may have. Identification of breast screening characteristics into such categories will serve as a foundation for designing future intervention studies to enhance breast health behaviors. When considering the skills, resources, and/or barriers that can promote or hinder breast health behavior, the number one motivation reported for women not receiving a screening mammogram was that it 'cost a lot'. At the same time, key rationale for women partaking in the series was that the mammography van was close by and the program was at no cost. Limitations The first limitation of this study was the limitation in the strategic planning of the questionnaire and selection of variables. It has failed a great extent to regard that the experience of an individual can vary according to one's age. Secondly, the survey has done very little to make sure the awareness among women about the screening and their positive impacts mostly by those have undergone the screening in a way of sharing in social life. So that the free mammogram may have introduced a response bias that resulted in women providing responses supportive of continuing the project. . . References Austokar J & Brett J. (1998) Do women who undergo further investigation for breast screening Suffer adverse psychological consequences Journal of public health medicine. Oxford University press. Vol 20 No. 4 p 397. Centers for disease control (2000) National center for chronic disease prevention and health Promotion. 2000 Fritz P.R (2003) The predictors of women sue of screening service: Texas journal of rural health 21(1), 30-41 General medical Council. (1999) seeking patients consent the ethical considerations; London GMC 1999. Hawkins H. (2001) Making decisions in breast care: A woman's guide to screening Living longer 10 4-5 Kim, Y., & Sarna, L. (2004) An Intervention to increase mammography use by Korean American women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 31(1), 105-110. Lane A.J & Martin M (2005) characteristics of rural women who attend a free breast health Program College of nursing. University of Cincinnati. Schmlaz K.J & Goldman K.D (2001). Overview and summary of key health education theories. Health promotion Practice 2(4) 277-281. Read More