ABSTRACT
Background: There are reduced screening rates across the United States secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic;the additional anticipated deaths from breast and colorectal cancer, secondary to reduced screening, is approximated at 10,000 people. A study of thirty-two health systems in Georgia noted an 8% decrease in screening mammography compared to pre-pandemic rates. To help reverse the decline, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) participated in the “Return to Screening” initiative, in conjunction with the American Cancer Society (ACS). A quality improvement project was performed at the community-based hospital system to increase breast cancer screening rates, using a multidisciplinary approach with a focus on health care disparities. Methods: The initial goal was to increase screening mammograms by 10% (n = 14,364) from June 1st to December 1st 2021. Interventions were selected by a multidisciplinary team of NGMC researchers, clinical providers, and oncology administrators. Interventions varied in category, encompassing unique patient and provider-specific approaches. The evidence-based interventions were tailored to address health care disparities in the local population. This included identification and quantification of cultural groups in the community to ensure quality patient access. Integrative collaboration consisted of intermittent meetings to certify consistent communication, project reflection and identification of barriers. The selected interventions were executed monthly, with simultaneous data tracking of mammography rates. Results: From June 1st to December 1st 2021, a total of forty evidence-based interventions were successfully implemented. Analysis of screening rates demonstrated a 15% increase across the allotted time period, corresponding to an average of 1,302 mammograms monthly (n = 15,284). This exceeded the initial anticipated goal of increasing screening by 10% (n = 14,364). Analysis of mammography results identified 331 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed within the allotted period, a 7% mean diagnosis rate increase. Certain planned interventions were unable to be conducted and required modification due to limitation of the ongoing pandemic;however, this solidified the use of social media and virtual participation as effective methods of community outreach. Conclusions: We identified key methods to engage the local community and successfully increased rates of screening mammography. Interventions were tailored to the local population, ensuring patient-centered tools and a personalized approach to medicine. The multidisciplinary, consistent collaboration with stakeholders ensured quality of care for the local patient population. This project demonstrates the importance of local community engagement to impact national cancer screening rates, and thus, ensure earlier detection of breast cancer. .