Now or Later? - Patient satisfaction and anxiety among women undergoing breast biopsies performed the same day as recommended versus a later day.

OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in patient satisfaction and anxiety among women undergoing core-needle breast biopsies performed the same day as recommended versus a future date.

METHODS: Following institutional review board exemption, a survey was administered to patients at four sites on the day of imaging-guided core-needle breast biopsy. The survey was available from November 2020 through January 2022. Questions pertained to biopsy timing (same-day versus later-day), pre- and post-biopsy satisfaction with overall breast-care experience, biopsy wait-time satisfaction, pre- and post-biopsy anxiety, radiologist-patient communication, demographics, life stressors, breast cancer history and risk factors. Comparisons were made between same-day and later-day biopsies by multivariable analysis.

RESULTS: Of 974 respondents (response rate=65.6%), almost half were scheduled for same-day biopsies (47.8%, 466/974). In multivariate analyses, same-day biopsies were associated with higher pre-biopsy overall breast-care satisfaction (p<0.001), wait-time satisfaction (p<0.001), and higher pre-biopsy (p=0.001) and post-biopsy anxiety (p=0.001). Better radiologist-patient communication was associated with lower pre-biopsy anxiety (p<0.001) and greater pre-biopsy overall (p<0.001) and wait-time (p<0.001) satisfaction. Compared to White women, Black women reported lower post-biopsy anxiety (p<0.001), but also lower pre-biopsy satisfaction (p=0.03) and wait-time satisfaction (p<0.001).

DISCUSSION: Same-day versus later-day biopsies resulted in better pre-biopsy overall breast-care and wait-time patient satisfaction scores; however, no satisfaction differences were noted after biopsy. Clinically significant anxiety was associated with both same- and later-day biopsies, but was higher for same-day biopsies. Higher anxiety levels correlated with lower overall satisfaction suggesting that interventions to reduce anxiety and improve communication could improve patient experiences during same-day biopsies.