Health Outcomes | Breast Cancer Evaluation Measures

Health outcomes measures for breast cancer screening^1-11

The effectiveness of breast cancer screening programs depends on the intensity of program effort and the use of multiple interventions. A rule of thumb is that the more programs implemented together as a package or campaign, the more successful the interventions will be.

Baseline

• Determine levels of employee breast cancer screening rates from employee health survey or health risk appraisal. Examples include: 
  • What percentage of employees have been screened
  • Measures of the percent of employees who currently achieve breast cancer screening guidelines by employee health survey
• Determine baseline percentage of employees with health behaviors or conditions where individuals have a higher risk associated with breast cancer such as family history, overweight/obese (increases risk for breast cancer after menopause), drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day), using birth control pills (oral contraceptives), or being physically inactive
• Determine levels of diagnostic and treatment procedures from health care and pharmaceutical claims data 
  • Of those employee who were screened, what percentage of mammograms reported abnormal results
  • What percent of women with abnormal screening mammograms were referred to and completed diagnostic testing to confirm the absence or presence of breast cancer
  • How many cases of breast cancer were identified
  • What percent of breast cancers were identified at stage 0, stage I, stage II, stage III, or stage IV
• Determine employee knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about breast cancer screening ◦Evaluate employees’ current knowledge of the health benefits of breast cancer screening
  • Measure employee’s knowledge of their risks for breast cancer
  • Measure employee’s knowledge of current breast cancer screening guidelines
  • Assess employee awareness of existing workplace breast cancer screening programs, policies, and benefits
  • Assess employee awareness of behaviors that may reduce breast cancer risk, such as reducing obesity or overweight (increases risk for breast cancer after menopause), drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day), or being physically inactive

Process

• Periodic repeats of baseline measures

Outcome

• Assess changes in levels of employee breast cancer screening rates such as: ◦Increases in the number of employees screened
  • Changes in the percentage of employees reaching breast cancer screening guidelines
• Assess changes in the percentage of employees with health behaviors or conditions where individuals have a higher risk associated with breast cancer such as being overweight/obese (increases risk for breast cancer after menopause); drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day); using birth control pills (oral contraceptives), or being physically inactive^5-10
• Determine changes in the levels of diagnostic and treatment procedures from health and pharmaceutical claims data
• Assess changes in employee knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about breast cancer prevention and screening 
  • Evaluate changes in employee knowledge of current breast cancer screening health benefits and guidelines
  • Measure changes in employee’s knowledge of their risks for breast cancer
  • Assess changes in employee awareness of existing workplace breast cancer screening programs, policies, and benefits
  • Assess changes in employee awareness of behaviors that may reduce breast cancer risk