Mammograms
What age is annual mammography recommended to begin for women?
40
Patient says "I'm too old" to have a mammogram. What could you say?
I understand your concerns, but you are never too old! Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Our doctors and the American College of Radiology recommend having a mammogram every year. Early detection is key to preventing future complications.
What does a BIRAD 1 mean?
Negative
When you book a mammogram, what do you select as her patient status in the CRM?
Booked
When scheduling a screening mammogram, it's important to schedule it in what time-frame?
366 days from the last screening mammogram
1 in _ women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
8
Patient asks why she should have a mammogram annually?
Our Radiologists and the American College of Radiology recommend having a mammogram every year because if too much time is spread out between mammograms, they lose their effectiveness as a screening tool. Annual imaging allows the Radiologist to watch for small changes to address them when they are most treatable.
Insurance companies also see the value of an annual mammogram, as it is covered at 100% annually.
Annual mammograms result in a nearly 40% mortality reduction, compared to 23% for biennial (every 2 years) screening.
What does a BIRAD 2 mean?
Benign
When you've identified a voicemail on the other line, do you need to wait for the beep to transfer it to voicemail?
No, the system will listen for it and transfer when it's appropriate
What does a red X in the insurance section of eRad mean?
Inactive/Expired Insurance
Screening mammograms are annual, routine exams to detect breast cancer in women who have no apparent _____?
Symptoms
Patient says she doesn't have a family history of breast cancer and doesn't think a mammogram is necessary. What could you say?
Many women think they don’t need mammograms if no one in their family ever had breast cancer. But, 3 out of 4 women who get breast cancer do not have a strong family history of it. That leaves 85-95% of cancers that are random. Getting screened is an empowering step to be proactive in your health.
What does a BIRAD 3 mean?
Short-Term Follow-Up
If you're booking a patient and she mentions she feels a new lump in her breast and confirmed she has not had it checked out by her doctor yet, what status in the CRM do we select for her?
PT requires diagnostic or biopsy
If there are any insurance errors or if the patient has an order from her doctor, what can we send to the patient so they can take a picture of it and it will send it back into their chart?
Secure Pic
What is a Diagnostic mammogram typically done for?
New breast symptoms such as specific pain, lumps or discharge.
Patient says she is interested in doing Thermography instead. What could you say?
Thermography has been available for several decades, but there is no evidence to show that it’s a good screening tool to detect breast cancer early, when the cancer is most treatable. Thermography is not endorsed by the FDA, and therefore not covered by insurance.
What does a BIRAD 0 mean?
Prior Imaging Needed for Comparison and/or patient needs to return for additional imaging
If a patient says she will call us back after you offered to call her back, what do we put as the patient status in the CRM?
Callback (Time-input) and set it out for 1-2 months
What is the 3D Screening Bilateral Mammogram code to schedule?
G0202T
What is the difference between a 2D mammogram and a 3D mammogram?
2D Mammograms contain 2 X-ray images, one from the top, and a second from the side for each breast, a total of 4-6 images.
3D Mammograms allow the radiologist to view through the images in layers allowing them to look through overlapping tissue. They can scroll through the images instead of looking at flat pictures.
My doctor says I only need to go every 2 years. What could you say?
I know it can be confusing because there are many recommendations for mammography screening across the country. Our Radiologists here at RadNet follow the recommendation of the American College of Radiology who recommend annual screenings to detect abnormalities early in order to diagnose and treat breast cancer when it's in its earliest stages and most treatable. Unfortunately, breast cancer can develop even quicker than 1 year's time, even if you're not experiencing any symptoms. The best breast cancer detection you can get is through having an annual mammogram.
What does a BIRAD 4 mean?
Biopsy Recommended
When selecting the Callback (time-input) status, what is the most important part to look at when selecting that?
The callback time for their market since it may be a different time zone
If a patient has breast implants, what code do you use to schedule her 3D bilateral exam?
G0202IT