By Erik Anderson

Approximately 1 in 10 women have to return for additional imaging from a screening mammogram for either recalls (inconclusive imaging) or retakes (image quality issues/inadequate patient positioning). This back-and-forth is understandably frustrating for patients and healthcare centers. Plus, ongoing staffing shortages are further complicating matters. These recalls and retakes not only prolong the diagnostic process, potentially impacting patient health outcomes, but they also impose significant financial strains on health centers already facing challenging economic conditions.

The price we pay
In mammography, recalls happen when an indeterminate finding leads to additional tests or a biopsy to check for cancer. These are important because they show that the screening successfully identified a potential issue, which could lead to an early diagnosis of cancer and treatment. Retakes, on the other hand, are performed to fix issues with the original images, such as poor quality or positioning errors, and do not indicate the presence of disease.

Given that only a small percentage of the recalls and retakes end up being cancer, all of the extra imaging that is performed without showing cancer is problematic. They create significant financial challenges for healthcare centers, especially with resource allocation. Each retake, for example, may require up to an average of 25 additional minutes of staff time. This, combined with the existing high turnover rate of 17.5% for radiologic technologists in healthcare, exacerbates staffing shortages. It can be time-consuming to capture high-quality images when you consider that this includes everything from adjusting positioning and reviewing additional images to providing feedback, conducting training, and maintaining quality control. Consequently, staff have less time for other important tasks, such as performing additional procedures, which further strains resources.

The need for extra mammography screening, processing, and potential biopsies due to poor image quality will likely increase costs for the center and the patient. For every mammogram that needs to be retaken due to poor image quality, about 33% must be done on a different day. This means patients may have to take more time off work, find childcare again, and pay for transit all over again. These factors unfortunately make the screening process more expensive and frustrating for patients. For medical facilities, it means rescheduling the patient and allocating another imaging appointment for the same person.

Women's Health Homepage