HCPro.com: Mammography Regulation and Reimbursement Report

The FDA is in a state of inspection. Will your facility pass the test? Comply with FDA regulations and interpret the Mammography Quality Standards Act with Mammography Regulation Report.

To view the entire newsletter issue, click the “View Entire Issue” link below

June 2008 (Volume 7, Issue 6)	view entire issue

Recall rate may jump as a result of digital conversion
If you're planning to convert to digital mammography, you've probably focused a lot on how the transition will affect your work flow. But have you considered how it's going to affect your recall rate? Many facilities see an increase in recall rates during the conversion to digital mammography as physicians get used to the differences between the new digital and prior analog images. Digital images differ markedly from analog images, and the digital units have additional tools that allow radiologists to zoom in on potential problem areas.

Avoid legal risks when screening elderly patients
Many octogenarians today remain vital and in good health. As a result, some women will continue to seek annual mammograms. According to a recent study, elderly women who continue with annual mammograms are less likely to be diagnosed with later-stage cancers. But the risks of the examination may outweigh the benefits if staff members aren't properly trained to safely screen these patients. Case in point Consider the following scenario: An 82-year-old woman who uses a walker comes into a facility for a screening mammogram. However, instead of seating the woman for her screening, the RT has her stand. Unsteady, the woman falls backward and is seriously and permanently injured. She subsequently sues the facility.

Reduce wait times: Have radiologists read from home
Three years ago, Alan Melton, MD, stopped making the 110-mile commute from his home in West Hartford, CT, to his job as an assistant clinical professor of radiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Using a broadband Internet connection, securely armed with two firewalls and multiple virtual private networks to protect the data, Melton began reading cases in his home office on a fully equipped digital mammography workstation. Now, 36,600 cases later, it's safe to call this experiment in telemammography a success.

Other recently-published articles from Mammography Regulation and Reimbursement Report:

Resolve to focus on quality in 2009

Getting a grant: Tips and tricks for success

Get them talking

The angry patient: Avoid surefire ways to make your patients mad

Achieve printing perfection when dealing with digital

Digital mammography and the fatty breast

Customer service more critical in new economic times

Low-income women skip annual exams due to cost

Focus on quality indicators to reduce racial disparity

Successful accreditation starts with the basics

ACR spills secrets to accreditation and missteps to avoid

Digital saves cost for those who embrace it

Molecular breast imaging has advantages over MRI

New NEJM study: CAD results not so glum now

A dozen tips for a stellar stereotactic program

ABOUT HCPRO

PRESS

CAREERS @ HCPRO

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

ONLINE STORE

200 HOODS LANE

P.O. BOX 1168

MARBLEHEAD, MA 01945, USA

PHONE: 800/650-6787

FAX: 781/639-7857

Copyright Statement	Privacy Policy

*MAGNET™, MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM®, and ANCC MAGNET RECOGNITION® are trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The products and services of HCPro, Inc. and The Greeley Company are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the ANCC