What do hospitalists think about inpatient mammography for hospitalized women who are overdue for their breast cancer screening?

Background: A recent study showed that many hospitalized women are nonadherent with breast cancer screening recommendations, and that a majority of these women would be amenable to inpatient screening if it were offered.

Objective: Explore hospitalists' views about the appropriateness of inpatient breast cancer screening and their concerns about related matters.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4 hospitalist groups affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. χ(2) and t-test statistics were used to identify hospitalist characteristics that were associated with being supportive of inpatient screening mammography.

Results: The response rate was 92%. Sixty-two percent of respondents believed that hospitalists should not be involved in breast cancer screening. In response to clinical scenarios describing hospitalized women who were overdue for screening, only one-third of hospitalists said that they would order a screening mammogram. Lack of follow-up on screening mammography results was cited as the most common concern related to ordering the test.

Conclusions: Future studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility and potential barriers associated with inpatient screening mammography.