Evaluation of a mobile screening service for abdominal aortic aneurysm in Broken Hill, a remote regional centre in far western NSW

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of a mobile screening service model for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a remote population centre in Australia. Design: Screening test evaluation. Setting: A remote regional centre (population: 20 000) in far western NSW. Participants: Men aged 65-74 years, identified from the Australian Electoral roll. Interventions: A mobile screening service using directed ultrasonography, a basic health check and post-screening consultation. Main outcome measures: Attendance at the screening program, occurrence of AAA in the target population and effectiveness of screening processes. Results: A total of 516 men without a previous diagnosis of AAA were screened, an estimated response rate of 60%. Of these, 463 (89.7%) had a normal aortic diameter, 28 (5.4%) ectatic and 25 (4.9%) a small, moderate or significant aneurysm. Two men with AAA were recommended for surgery. Feedback from participants indicated that the use of a personalised letter of invitation helped with recruitment, that the screening process was acceptable and the service valued. Conclusions: It is feasible to organise and operate a mobile AAA screening service from moderate sized rural and remote population centres. This model could be scaled up to provide national coverage for rural and remote residents. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilatio