These recommendations aim to determine the best way to invite women to organised breast cancer screening programmes and to explain the benefits and harms attending.
Women aged 50-69
For inviting asymptomatic women aged 50 to 69 with an average risk of breast cancer (in whom screening is strongly recommended) to attend organised population-based screening programmes, the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group (GDG):
- recommends using a letter
- suggests using either a letter:
- with the general practitioner's (GP) signature
- with a fixed appointment
- followed by a phone reminder
- followed by a written reminder.
Moreover, the GDG developed recommendations on the use of electronic means, for which the GDG suggests using a letter followed by an SMS notification or an automated phone call.
If these strategies are not available, then, the GDG suggests either an e-mail or an automated phone call alone.
Finally, the GDG suggests not using:
- a letter accompanied by a face to face intervention
- a letter followed by a personalised phone call.
Informing about benefits and harms of screening
For informing women about the benefits and harms of participating in an organised breast cancer screening programme, the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group:
- suggests using a decision aid
(conditional recommendation, low certainty of the evidence) - recommends using numbers in addition to plain language
(strong recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence) - suggests using infographics in addition to plain language with numbers
(conditional recommendation, low certainty of the evidence) - suggests not using storytelling in addition to plain language with number
(conditional recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)
Socially disadvantaged women
To improve participation in screening programmes of socially disadvantaged women between the ages of 50 and 69, the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group suggests:
- using a targeted communication strategy
(conditional recommendation, low certainty of the evidence) - not using a tailored communication strategy
(conditional recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence) - using tailored or targeted communication strategies
(conditional recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence).
Women with an intellectual disability
The ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group suggests using a targeted communication strategy over a general communication strategy to improve participation in breast cancer screening programmes of women with intellectual disability between the ages of 50 and 69 (conditional recommendation, low certainty of the evidence).
Non-native speaking women
The ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group suggests using a targeted communication strategy over a general communication strategy to improve participation in breast cancer screening programmes of non-native speaking women between the ages of 50 and 69 (conditional recommendation, low certainty of the evidence).