Decision-aid on Breast Cancer Screening

New Invited Women to Breast Cancer Screening: a Multi-centre, Longitudinal, Controlled, Randomised Study on a Decision-aid to Support Informed Choice

The present study aim to assess the effect of an interactive web decision aid on informed choice - measured via knowledge, attitudes and intentions concerning breast cancer screening - comparing the decision aid with a standard information provided via web.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. In Italy, women are invited to a population-based mammography screening programme for the first time at the age of 45 or 50 years. Results from randomised controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews continuously fuel the debate on the balance on benefits (reducing breast cancer mortality) and harms (overdiagnosis, overtreatment) of mammography screening. Physicians, policy makers, as well as laypeople or patient associations agree on the need to inform women about the potential benefits and harms in order to allow an aware decision process. Decision aids are an effective way to support lay people in their decisions about health.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women aged 45-69, according to the target age of the screening centres involved;
• New invited women in mammography screening programme.

Exclusion Criteria:

• None