From the July 2015 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


“Unfortunately, while 3D mammography, MRI, and breast ultrasound are emerging technologies, there is very little evidence available that examines the ultimate effectiveness of these newer screening methods, and therefore, the Task Force was unable to make a recommendation for or against these types of screening,” Bibbins-Domingo says. Even manufacturers, normally silent on these issues, are speaking out.

“We strongly recommend annual screening,” says Jennifer Okken, senior manager for women’s health at Siemens Healthcare. “We’re typically silent on these recommendations, but this one has come to our attention.”


Navigating breast density
Breast density is another issue that has been receiving a lot of attention recently. Since 2009, 22 states have enacted density reporting legislation, with North Dakota being the most recent after Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed the law in early April.

In February, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, DCalif., introduced the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2015, which would require breast density reporting in all states and would also direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct research in support of clinical guidelines and best practices for the use of mammograms and supplemental screening for women with dense breasts. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

While some doctors recommend additional screening for women with dense breasts, there is still uncertainty, even in states where reporting is required. Some imaging centers have been proactive, going beyond the notification laws to work with women and help them navigate the process.

Even before density reporting was mandated in Indiana in 2013, the radiology department at Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ind., began having breast imaging navigators help patients with dense breasts consider their options. When a woman has a mammogram, the facility tries to provide same-day results, along with notifying the women who have dense breast tissue about the risks and offering additional testing. When results aren’t provided same day, women with dense breasts receive a phone call from the navigator.
Lynn Imel, administrative director of radiology at Marion General Hospital, says with the breast imaging navigators — two nurses and one radiologic technologist with breast patient navigator certifications — they have found that their callbacks within two weeks have risen to 90 percent, from 60 percent before the program was in place. Patient navigators traditionally help women with a breast cancer diagnosis understand the treatment process.

July 2015 Magazine

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