Factors that impact radiography advanced practitioners’ diagnostic efficacy

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, with around 41,000 cases reported annually. Early detection is paramount, with nine out of 10 women surviving for at least five years when the cancer is caught in its early stages. The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) plays a critical role in improving survival rates by detecting breast cancer at its most treatable stages, even before the disease can be felt through self-examination. Mammography remains the gold standard in diagnosing even the smallest lesions, with malignancies as small as 1cm being detectable through this non-invasive, relatively low cost procedure.

Effective interpretation of mammograms is a crucial element of any breast screening programme. Health professionals who interpret these images must have a deep understanding of both benign and malignant conditions. Radiographers, who have been trained to interpret mammograms since 1995 in the UK, play a significant role in this process. Radiographers were initially trained for this purpose due to a shortage of radiologists and, over time, evidence has shown that radiographers can perform just as well as breast radiologists when it comes to mammography interpretation. However, despite the wealth of data available on radiologist performance, there is less information about the factors that influence the effectiveness of radiographers in interpreting mammograms.

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