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Can radiographers read screening mammograms?
G Wivell1, E R E Denton, C B Eve
1Breast Imaging Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Norwich, Norfolk, U.K.
Clinical Radiology
|February 5, 2003
Summary
Radiographers demonstrate proficiency in reading screening mammograms, matching radiologists' cancer detection rates and reading times within the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme. This indicates their capability in mammogram interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Breast Cancer Screening
Background:
- The National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) relies on accurate mammogram interpretation.
- Evaluating the performance of radiographers in reading screening mammograms is crucial for program efficiency and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of radiographers in interpreting screening mammograms.
- To compare the performance of radiographers with consultant radiologists in the NHSBSP.
Main Methods:
- Two radiographers evaluated 1000 screening mammograms previously read by a consultant radiologist.
- Three radiographers served as a second reader for 54,000 screening mammograms.
- Reading times for radiographers and radiologists were compared using a set of 2500 mammograms each.
Main Results:
- Radiographers successfully recalled all cancers detected by radiologists and identified interval cancers.
- As second readers, radiographers exhibited comparable recall and cancer detection rates to radiologists (P>0.05).
- Double reading identified 9% more cancers, and radiographers' reading times were similar to radiologists' (P>0.05).
Conclusions:
- Radiographers possess the ability to interpret screening mammograms with accuracy comparable to radiologists.
- The time taken by radiographers for mammogram interpretation is equivalent to that of radiologists.
- Findings support the integration of radiographers in screening mammogram interpretation within the NHSBSP.