Good first impressions decrease malpractice
Poor communications and lackluster customer service are often the culprits behind a mammography malpractice claim, said Dr. Peter J. Dempsey, a professor of radiology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, speaking at the 24th Annual Breast Imaging Conference in September.
Citing findings from a 2002 Physician Insurers Association of America study, Dempsey noted that mammography cases have always ranked high among malpractice claims. But between 1995 and 2002, a key change occurred in the type of mammography malpractice claims being filed.
In 1995, the top reason for claims was that a palpable abnormality was ignored by an obstetrician/gynecologist. In 2002, the leading reason for claims was a mammogram misread by a radiologist.
Dempsey suggests repeating a mammogram of poor quality, recommending a repeat study in equivocal cases, reporting findings promptly to referring physicians, and ensuring that a fail-safe method exists for communicating results to patients.
Considering Breast- and Lesion-Level Assessments with Mammography AI: What New Research Reveals
June 27th 2025While there was a decline of AUC for mammography AI software from breast-level assessments to lesion-level evaluation, the authors of a new study, involving 1,200 women, found that AI offered over a seven percent higher AUC for lesion-level interpretation in comparison to unassisted expert readers.
