Patients Satisfaction with the Breast Cancer Screening Program in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

Author(s):

Razaz M Wali*, Abdulrahman M Alganawi, Ahmed A Alzahrani, Ahmed B Ibrahim, Moaffaq M Mahdi, Riyadh M Alloqmani and Sultan S Allam

Background: Breast cancer is the primary cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. It is also the most prevalent malignancy among Saudi Arabian women, accounting for 25.8% of all female malignancies. A mammogram is a screening intervention that can detect breast cancer before clinical signs or symptoms are evident, and they can thus help decrease breast cancer–related mortality. In 2018, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) launched a pilot program for breast cancer screening among women ≥ 40-year-old age. The present study's purpose was to assess patient satisfaction with this pilot program. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Specialized Polyclinic of the Primary Healthcare Center of KAMC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to assess women ≥ 40-year-old age satisfaction with a new breast cancer screening program. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0. Results: A total of 209 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 141 of those (67.46%) consented to participate and included in the final analysis. Patients were mostly in the 51- to 60-year-old age range (n=61, 43.3%), and obese (n=79, 56.0%). Before mammography, the majority of patients expressed satisfaction with their appointment wait times (80.85%); they nonetheless experienced anxiety during the waiting (51.00%). During mammography, most patients felt comfortable in the physical environment of the examination room (weighted mean 4.19), including undressing themselves there (weighted mean 4.16). Overall, patients expressed satisfaction with their mammography experiences. Conclusion: The majority of patients expressed satisfaction with the breast cancer screening service provided. Two major aspects were shown to need further improvement: (1) anxiety management for patients waiting for their appointment and (2) public education campaigns to disseminate appropriate information among women about the importance of breast cancer screening.