Turning the Page on Breast Cancer in African American Women in OHIO

 African American women are more likely to have aggressive breast cancers diagnosed at younger ages than white women.  Evidence suggests that African American women are less likely to report receiving a recommendation for a mammogram from their provider than are white women. This suggests a potential practice gap in that providers may not be recommending mammograms to African American women at the same rate as white women. This is concerning, as physician recommendation is one of the strongest predictors of mammography use. Prior meta-analyses have suggested that interventions designed to enhance provider ordering or recommendations for mammography are all generally effective in increasing mammography rates, regardless of approach. It is possible that providers do not know the current mammography screening guidelines or that African American women in particular are at higher risk for breast cancer at younger ages. Additionally, providers in these clinics may not know how to identify women within their clinic population who are at increased risk for breast cancer due to the family history and thus should be referred for genetic testing. Lastly, providers may not know where to refer their patients for genetic counseling in Ohio. Evidence suggests that providers have scant knowledge regarding who should be referred, the value of referral as well as how to refer for genetic counseling. 

 This continuing medical education will teach providers about the disparity in breast cancer mortality for African American women. It will teach providers why it is important to make recommendations for mammography screening to their patient population and to identify patients who are outside of guidelines for mammography screening. Additionally, providers may not understand the risk factors associated with patients who are at increased risk for breast cancer due to family history. During the presentation, providers will be educated about factors that increase an individual’s risk for breast cancer due to family history and the importance of recommending genetic counseling for these patients. The educational design of the activity will be a virtual PowerPoint presentation. This activity is informational so will be best served in a presentation format. 

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