
The Library
The communication of benign biopsy results in the National Health Service breast screening programme
Tools
Williamson, Siân Zena (2019) The communication of benign biopsy results in the National Health Service breast screening programme. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
|
PDF
WRAP_Theses_Williamson_2019_Redacted.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (12Mb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3714684
Abstract
Attending a breast biopsy and receiving the results can be an anxious process. The method of delivering biopsy results could affect women’s experience of screening and resultant anxiety. The NHS Breast screening programme (NHSBSP) guidelines state that telephone results ‘should not be routinely offered’. Despite this, most English Breast Screening centres now deliver benign results by telephone, believing they are reducing the amount of time women spend anxiously waiting. However, concerns remain about the potential ‘harm’ of telephoning women with results.
This thesis aimed to investigate the impact of communication methods (telephone versus in-person) on women receiving a benign biopsy result from the NHSBSP, exploring the outcomes of patient anxiety, understanding of results and preferences for communication. This will inform future updates to policy guidelines for the communication of breast screening results in the NHSBSP.
Methods
A mixed methods approach was used with the overall research designed in 5 phases: Phase 1) A mixed-methods systematic review of current communication methods used in cancer screening programmes and the impact on attendees; Phase 2) A cross-sectional survey to record how results are currently being delivered in the NHSBSP, including qualitative data on NHSBSP staff views on communication methods; Phase 3) A cluster randomised crossover trial comparing women who have received a benign result by telephone versus in-person to measure anxiety and understanding of results. Phase 4) Qualitative interviews with women who have received a benign result from screening to explore communication preferences and reasons for these preferences; Phase 5) Mixed methods synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data on attendee communication preferences from Phase 3 and Phase 4.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer) R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics |
||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Medical screening -- Great Britain, Medical screening -- Psychological aspects, Breast -- Cancer -- Diagnosis, Breast -- Needle biopsy, Breast -- Cancer | ||||
Official Date: | September 2019 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Warwick Medical School | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Taylor-Phillips, Sian ; Sandhu, Harbinder ; Johnson, Rebecca E. ; Ellard, David R. | ||||
Sponsors: | Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) ;Public Health England | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | 362 leaves : illustrations | ||||
Language: | eng |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
![]() |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year