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Quality assurance in breast screening in Europe
1Quality Assurance Reference Center, North Thames Breast Programme, St Bartholomew' Hospital, London, UK.
Insights
European pathology External Quality Assurance programs, built on UK experience, involve around 300 French pathologists. Despite potential program changes, quality assurance in screening is expected to continue and expand.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Medical Diagnostics
- Pathology
Background:
- An extensive External Quality Assurance (EQA) program for pathology has been established in Europe, drawing upon the successful UK model.
- Approximately 300 pathologists in France currently participate in this EQA initiative.
- The Europe Against Cancer program is likely to conclude with the end of its Third Action Plan (1996-2000).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the future of quality assurance in European cancer screening programs.
- To evaluate the potential transfer of screening network responsibilities within the European Commission.
- To anticipate the continuation and expansion of organized screening and skill dissemination.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing European pathology External Quality Assurance (EQA) programs.
- Analysis of the UK's EQA program experience.
- Assessment of European Commission's public health funding and organizational structures.
Main Results:
- Significant participation in pathology EQA across Europe, with substantial involvement in France.
- Anticipated continuation of screening as a major public health activity funded by the European Commission.
- Likely transfer of the screening network to DGXXIV (Consumer Protection and Public Health) for enhanced quality focus.
Conclusions:
- The established EQA framework provides a strong foundation for high-quality screening activities.
- Continued emphasis on quality assurance, screening expansion, and skill transfer into the symptomatic sector is expected.
- The organizational shift within the European Commission is seen as advantageous for maintaining and improving screening quality.
Abstract:
An extensive pathology External Quality Assurance has been set up in Europe based on the experience of the UK programme. There are approximately 300 participating pathologists in France alone. With the end of the Third Action Plan (1996-2000) it is likely that the Europe Against Cancer programme will cease. However, screening will remain one of the four major public health activities funded by the European Commission and the screening network which has resided under the auspices of DGV (Industrial Relations and Social Affairs) is likely to be transferred to DGXXIV (Consumer Protection and Public Health). This would seem to be ideal the site for the activities necessary for high quality screening. It is anticipated that the drive for continued quality assurance, expansion of organised screening and the spread of skills from high quality screening programmes into symptomatic sector activity will continue for the foreseeable future.