Skip to main content
European Commission logo
Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Care

European guidelines on breast cancer screening and diagnosis


Select a topic

Screening









Select a topxic

Diagnosis








Select presentation view


Select a profile


7. Inviting women to screening programmes



Inviting women with an intellectual disability to screening

Issued on: May 2017

Healthcare question

Should a targeted communication strategy vs. a general communication strategy be used for women with intellectual disability?

Recommendation

The ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group (GDG) suggests using a targeted communication strategy over a general communication strategy to improve participation in organised population-based breast cancer screening programmes of women with intellectual disability between the ages of 50 and 69.

Recommendation strength

Conditional recommendation
Low certainty of the evidence

Justification

The GDG notes that it did not consider monetary interventions ethical to increase participation and that the targeted communication used does not include this form of intervention.

Considerations for implementation and policy making

  • The GDG notes that the impact on caregivers for women with intellectual disabilities should be considered in implementing a targeted communication strategy.
  • The GDG notes that issues with equity for screening programmes for individuals with intellectual disabilities should be considered along with other health issues where equity is also a concern.
  • Access to telephone numbers may not be available or may be limited by data protection laws in some contexts.
  • Strategies need to be developed to identify the appropriate target group, and how to invite them, for all health  related issues, not just breast cancer.

Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring the success of targeting communication to this specific subgroup and the impact on participation rates should be considered.

Research priorities

The GDG supports additional research on targeted communication strategies for invitation to screening programmes for women with intellectual disabilities.

Supporting material

yes