Abstract
Objective: With a view to improving the follow-up examination system at our facility, since 2008 we have been sending follow-up exam recommendations to examinees considered to require medical treatment or more detailed exams. Also, beginning in 2010, we conducted a partial revision of the system for recommending follow-up examinations. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of the revised system.
Methods: The subjects were examinees to whom recommendations for follow-up exams were sent from April 2009 to March 2011. Comparisons were made for 22 of 38 examination items in the old and new systems with regard to numbers of recommendations sent, numbers of responses received and response rates by examination item.
<Change in new recommendation system> When no response is received to a recommendation for a follow-up exam sent together with a results report, a further recommendation is sent 2 months later.
Results: The new recommendation system increased response rates for all examination items. The changes in response rates were +22.7 for chest CT scans, +20.1 for mammography and +18.1 for cervical cancer screening. Under the category of lifestyle disease-related exams, while the changes in rates for diabetes testing, and renal function/uric acid testing were +9.1 and +7.6, respectively, these differences were still statistically significant. The increases in response rates for lifestyle disease-related testing and gynecologic exams were prominent.
Conclusion: It was effective to send a recommendation again 2 months later when no response was received the first time it was sent. Keeping the difference in health awareness between men and women in mind, the provision of disease- and testing-related information together with appropriately timed recommendations for follow-up exams would be another means of raising exam rates.
