Radiology, Vol 166, 69-70, Copyright © 1988 by Radiological Society of North America
The self-referred mammography patient: a new responsibility for radiologists
B Monsees, JM Destouet and RG Evens
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
A mammography screening program was initiated in which self-referred women
were accepted for examination. Two views of each breast were obtained, and
no physical examination was performed. Reports were sent to each patient
and to the patient's primary care physician, if she had one. The program
was successful in that the number of examinations performed per day
increased from 36 to 80 within 6 months. Approximately 50% of the women who
came for screening did so at their own request. Self-referred women with
abnormal findings on mammograms who did not have a primary care physician
were contacted by phone and told of the results. Advice was given for
further evaluation, and the patient was referred to a local physician if
she still did not know of one. Further workup in patients with abnormal
findings was verified with the use of computer tracking and follow-up phone
calls. Self- referral is an important component of screening mammography,
but it places added responsibility on the radiologist in cases in which
there is no referring physician.
