Stamatia V. Destounis, MD, FACR, Chief of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Breast Imaging Commission, and partner/owner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, NY, contributed this post.
With the COVID-19 resurgence, many women remain hesitant to come in for their yearly mammogram. During recent radio and TV interviews promoting safe screening during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, even many reporters said they have a loved one who has put off being screened. As we know, missed or delayed appointments for breast cancer screening may lead to delayed diagnosis of cancers and unnecessary breast cancer deaths. We can’t let that happen!
To keep everyone safe, facilities in areas where the resurgence is particularly acute have reinstituted COVID protocols mirroring the days following the resumption of non-urgent screening/preventive care last summer. If your practice is among them, the ACR “Continue Mammography Care” toolkit can once again help you safely provide screening and inform patients and referring providers of the steps that you are taking to ensure safety.
Also available on MammographySavesLives.org, the toolkit offers free, downloadable and customizable resources to explain to women why and how they should still get their yearly mammograms. Encourage your referring providers to use these materials to communicate with their patients.
Even during a pandemic, the ACR and its members can work together to ensure that patients and referring providers continue to know that Mammography Saves Lives!
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