Comparison of Satisfaction with Cancer Screening at Mobile Van and Static Sites: National Cancer Screening Program in Korea

Objectives: Our objectives were to evaluate participant satisfaction in the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) and to examine differences in satisfaction between mobile vans and static sites. Methods: A total of 243 967 participants who were screened by NCSP between January and May 2007 were eligible for the study. Of these, 3416 samples were randomly chosen and stratified by the type of cancer screened and screening unit. A telephone survey was conducted in July 2007, and 1672 participants (48.9%) were responded. The questionnaire included participant satisfaction with screening, screening service use and demographic data. Five multiple regression models were used to determine the relation between screening location (mobile van or static site) and each of five satisfaction measures (information transfer, staff interpersonal skills, privacy protection, physical surroundings and general satisfaction). Results: Of the participants, 764 (45.7%) were screened at a mobile van and 908 (54.3%) at a static site. Relatively high scores were reported for all satisfaction measures, but satisfaction with screening at a mobile van was lower than that at a static site. Even after adjusting for potential confounders, screening at a mobile van was significantly associated with lower satisfaction for information transfer (P = 0.005), staff interpersonal skills (P = 0.025), privacy protection (P = 0.019), physical surroundings (P < 0.001) and general satisfaction (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Improving the satisfaction with and quality of mobile screening services is important to increase compliance and achieve the aims of the NCSP. Therefore, further efforts such as quality assurance or continuous monitoring are required.