Are radiologists' goals for mammography accuracy consistent with published recommendations?

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Quality Assurance

Background:

• Mammography quality assurance programs are established.
• Radiologists' self-reported performance goals for screening mammography accuracy are not well-understood.
• Published recommendations exist for key performance metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess radiologists' self-reported performance goals for screening mammography accuracy.
• To compare these goals against published recommendations from the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Main Methods:

• A mailed survey was distributed to radiologists within the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) in seven states.
• Radiologists' self-reported goals for recall rate, false-positive rate, positive predictive value of biopsy recommendation (PPV2), and cancer detection rate were collected.
• Goals were compared to ACR desirable ranges and analyzed for associations with radiologist characteristics and audit report receipt.

Main Results:

• The survey achieved a 71% response rate (257 radiologists).
• Many radiologists reported goals outside desirable ranges: 22% for false-positive rate and 39% for PPV2.
• Factors like academic affiliation, continuing medical education in breast imaging, and annual audit reports were associated with desirable PPV2 goals.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of radiologists set accuracy goals for screening mammography interpretation that deviate from established benchmarks.
• Particular discrepancies were noted for false-positive rate and PPV2, suggesting educational opportunities.
• Improving adherence to quality benchmarks can enhance screening mammography effectiveness.