Digital success for BreastScreen Midland

The move to digital technology was extremely complex requiring significant coordination between Waikato DHB, sub contracted screening providers and healthAlliance with seven sites going live within six weeks.

There was significant investment of staff time to set up and test all the new equipment and software interfaces. Service Manager Clare Coles, who led the Waikato DHB project team, said despite the complexity the project was completed on time and within budget.

Waikato Hospital was the first site to connect to the BSA central Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS)  with both the mobile and fixed sites then going digital at the same time. The mobile mammography machine has an additional component, which means all images are ready for reading once they leave the mobile. The diagnostic Radiology Information System (RIS) is fully integrated on to the desktop so no work-arounds are required.

Women attending for their screening mammogram may not notice a significant change but some who live in rural areas will certainly appreciate being able to get their mammogram now on a mobile instead of travelling to Hamilton, Tauranga or Rotorua if they have breast implants.  Also women are far less likely to be recalled for a repeat mammogram for technical reasons because the medical radiation technologist who takes the mammogram will be able to immediately check the image for quality.

BSA Programme Manager, Maree Pierce, said the BreastScreen Midland team and their partners are to be congratulated for the successful implementation of digital mammography which has been well planned and coordinated.

BreastScreen Midland is the sixth BreastScreen Aotearoa Lead Provider to transition to digital mammography. All eight lead providers will be digital by December 2013.