Date of Paper/Work
5-2023
Type of Paper/Work
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Vicki L. Ericson
Department/School
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Abstract
It is estimated by the National Cancer Institute that in the United States, there will be 290,560 new cases of breast cancer in 2022, making this the most common type of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society website, Wisconsin alone is projected to have an estimated 5,380 new breast cancer cases, with 720 estimated deaths in 2022.
At a rural Wisconsin healthcare clinic, it was identified through a quality improvement review that adherence to mammography screening was below the enterprise benchmark. The Wisconsin Well Woman Program (WWWP), funded by the state and federal government, provides no-cost breast cancer screening to women with income qualifications. WWWP was previously unavailable at this rural Wisconsin healthcare facility; therefore, strategies to enlist the support of key stakeholders were undertaken, and WWWP was approved for this area of WI. Healthcare providers and staff were educated on the WWWP, and clinic-wide processes were created for identifying and referring patients to the program for free breast cancer screening. Once implemented, healthcare providers and staff were surveyed for their understanding of the program, how likely they would recommend it, and whether or not they were referring patients to the WWWP. Survey results demonstrate a 100% understanding of the program, 100% of the participants were likely to recommend the program, and 50% had already referred someone. The WWWP can improve breast cancer screening rates for uninsured or underinsured women in rural WI. One significant barrier to using this program was the lack of an easy online registration process, and continued work is needed to facilitate ease of access to WWWP.
Recommended Citation
Feeney, Tessa S.. (2023). Implementation of the Wisconsin Well Woman Program. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dnp_projects/200