October 31, 2018 — Volpara Solutions announced that the data stored in the Volpara Enterprise cloud now exceeds 1 million mammographic studies. Analysis of this anonymized big data, reflecting the state of mammography in 2018, helps mammography providers achieve improved mammographic sensitivity and detect breast cancers at an earlier stage. It also helps breast imaging centers better understand how their image quality compares to that of other facilities and how to improve their mammograms going forward.
Initial analysis has identified common key weaknesses such as inadequate pectoralis muscle present and poor visibility of the inframammary fold (IMF) — both in MLO views. These findings are in line with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) rationale for implementing the EQUIP (Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program) initiative during FDA inspections; that improper positioning and compression are the cause of most clinical image deficiencies. This October, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Volpara's blog, Top 5 Positioning Challenges in Mammography, will highlight key positioning issues and provide tips for improvement.
Volpara Chief Medical Officer Monica Saini, M.D., said the company’s new artificial intelligence (AI) techniques automatically and objectively analyze positioning and compression on every image. This allows users to understand the quality challenges of mammography at a massive scale, according to Saini.
Facilities implementing VolparaEnterprise software have reportedly seen significant improvements in mammography quality. For example, St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, improved their overall quality scores each month with 82 percent of technologists displaying a positive trend.
Lori Keiper, clinical specialist and women's imaging coordinator at another facility, St. Luke's University Health Network in Pennsylvania, said, "Being able to walk through a formal, self-guided training process has helped us focus our quality improvement efforts. Since implementing VolparaEnterprise software, the majority of our 60-plus technologists across 17 sites have seen steady improvements in their compression, positioning, and overall quality scores. We encourage our technologists to check their progress on their quality dashboards regularly, and we've actually seen friendly competition develop as they work to improve their exam quality."
Volpara Solutions will showcase its entire suite of volumetric breast imaging software tools, including VolparaEnterprise software and the VolparaLive! system, a new real-time decision support tool for compression and positioning, at the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, Nov. 25-30 in Chicago.
For more information: www.volparasolutions.com
