The effects of standard care counseling or telephone/in-person counseling on beliefs, knowledge, and behavior related to mammography screening.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To determine the most effective methods of increasing mammography adherence while also considering ease of intervention delivery in evolving healthcare systems. DESIGN: Experimental. SETTING: Women from a health maintenance organization and a large general medicine practice. SAMPLE: Women 50-85 years of age who had not had breast cancer and did not have a mammogram within the last 15 months. METHODS: Once consent and baseline information were obtained, women were randomized to receive in-person, telephone, or no mammography counseling. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Mammography adherence, perception of susceptibility to breast cancer, and benefits, barriers to, and knowledge of mammography. FINDINGS: Compared to standard care, telephone counseling was more than twice as effective at increasing mammography adherence, whereas in-person counseling resulted in almost three times the mammography adherence postintervention. Both telephone and in-person counseling are successful in changing perceived susceptibility, knowledge, barriers, and benefits. CONCLUSION: Both telephone and in-person counseling interventions were successful in changing beliefs, which, in turn, increased mammography adherence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Interventions based on altering beliefs are effective for increasing mammography adherence.