Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37751916›Full record

Trial reportThe Medical journal of Australia2023

Psychosocial outcomes and health service use after notifying women participating in population breast screening when they have dense breasts: a BreastScreen Queensland randomised controlled trial.

Brooke Nickel, Nick Ormiston-Smith, Lisa Hammerton, Erin Cvejic, Paul Vardon, Zoe Mcinally, Paula Legerton, Karen Baker, Jennifer Isautier, Emma Larsen and 4 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Medical journal of Australia, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Reply: Psychological Responses to Breast Density Notification: Empowerment or Anxiety?Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  4. Psychosocial Impact of Breast Density Notification Through Breast Cancer Screening: A Qualitative Interview Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Brooke NickelSchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
Nick Ormiston-SmithCancer Screening Unit, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD.
Lisa HammertonSunshine Coast Service, BreastScreen Queensland, Nambour, QLD.
Erin CvejicSchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
Paul VardonCancer Screening Unit, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD.
Zoe McinallyCancer Screening Unit, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD.
Paula LegertonCancer Screening Unit, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD.
Karen BakerCancer Screening Unit, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD.
Jennifer IsautierSchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.ORCID 0000-0002-6376-680X
Emma LarsenSunshine Coast Service, BreastScreen Queensland, Nambour, QLD.
Michelle GilesMaroondah BreastScreen, Eastern Health, Melbourne, VIC.
Meagan E BrennanSchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.ORCID 0000-0002-3281-7643
Kirsten J McCafferySchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.ORCID 0000-0003-2696-5006
Nehmat HoussamiSchool of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.ORCID 0000-0002-3641-952X

Funding

National Breast Cancer Foundation EC-21-001National Health and Medical Research Council 1194108National Health and Medical Research Council 1194410National Health and Medical Research Council 2016719
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRobust evidence regarding the benefits and harms of notifying Australian women when routine breast screening identifies that they have dense breasts is needed for informing future mammography population screening practice and policy.

objectivesTo assess the psychosocial and health services use effects of notifying women participating in population-based breast cancer screening that they have dense breasts; to examine whether the mode of communicating this information about its implications (print, online formats) influences these effects. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study population comprises women aged 40 years or older who attend BreastScreen Queensland Sunshine Coast services for mammographic screening and are found to have dense breasts (BI-RADS density C or D). The randomised controlled trial includes three arms (952 women each): standard BreastScreen care (no notification of breast density; control arm); notification of dense breasts in screening results letter and print health literacy-sensitive information (intervention arm 1) or a link or QR code to online video-based health literacy-sensitive information (intervention arm 2). Baseline demographic data will be obtained from BreastScreen Queensland. Outcomes data will be collected in questionnaires at baseline and eight weeks, twelve months, and 27 months after breast screening. Primary outcomes will be psychological outcomes and health service use; secondary outcomes will be supplemental screening outcomes, cancer worry, perceived breast cancer risk, knowledge about breast density, future mammographic screening intentions, and acceptability of notification about dense breasts. ETHICS APPROVAL: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Ethics Committee (HREC/2023/QGC/89770); Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Research Governance and Development (SSA/2023/QSC/89770). DISSEMINATION OF

findingsFindings will be reported in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. They will also be reported to BreastScreen Queensland, BreastScreen Australia, Cancer Australia, and other bodies involved in cancer care and screening, including patient and support organisations.

trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12623000001695p (prospective: 9 January 2023).

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsAustraliaBreast DensityEarly Detection of CancerFemaleHealth ServicesHumansMammographyMass ScreeningPatient Acceptance of Health CareProspective StudiesQueenslandBreast neoplasmsClinical trials as topicHealth services researchPublic healthWomen’s health

Identifiers

PMID37751916
PMCPMC10952548

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.