Effect of accessibility improvement in a national population-based breast cancer screening policy on mammography utilization among women with comorbid conditions in Taiwan

In Taiwan, a Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Program (CAQIP), implemented in 2010, provides financial support to qualified hospitals to improve accessibility. This study aimed to examine the effect of CAQIP on mammography participation among women aged 50-69 years at various health statuses. A natural experimental study design before and after CAQIP implementation in 2010 was conducted. Phase 1 included 437,875 screened and 1,490,453 non-screened women, and 830,348 and 1,03,454 in Phase 2. Compared with women with no comorbidity, women with severe chronic conditions were less likely to participate in mammography screening. CAQIP was positively associated with the likelihood of mammography participation (OR 3.899, 95% CI 3.878-3.920); the magnitude of the effect was smaller for women with comorbid conditions. The findings provide evidences and economic theorical perspectives of potential benefits of health policy interventions to improve accessibility and mammography participation among women aged 50-69 years with comorbid conditions.

Automated summary

The Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Program (CAQIP) in Taiwan, implemented in 2010, provides financial support to hospitals to improve accessibility. A study found that CAQIP is positively associated with increased mammography participation among women aged 50-69, especially for those without comorbid conditions.