Workshop prepares mammographers to deliver online support

The Nightingale Centre practitioner Shaheeda Shaikh, The Jarvis Centre’s Dee Gallagher, Kingston and St George’s School of Radiography associate professor Hansa Jadva-Patel, senior lecturer Judi Curtis, Bolton Breast Screening Unit practitioner Julie Stein-Hodgins, University of Salford lead researcher Dr Leslie Robinson and The Jarvis Centre’s Yasmeen Malik.

A team from the University of Salford is working on developing The WOMMeN project (Word of Mouth Mammogram e Network) which aims to improve information and communication for women attending breast screening mammography through the development of an online support hub. One of its main features will be online access and discussion with a mammographer (radiographer or assistant practitioner in breast imaging) whose role will be to help explain the procedure, dispel myths and signpost good quality information.

With the aim of ensuring the hub achieves its main objective of improving the breast screening experiences of all women in the UK, Kingston University delivered the second practitioner workshop to cover the three National Breast Education centres based at St George’s Hospital, The Jarvis Centre and King’s College Hospital

The workshop in January explained more about social media and how it is being used in the health setting.  Participants were asked to explore the opportunities and barriers for using social media in breast screening. Using action research, some locally derived action plans were identified as an outcome from the event as well as the identification of practitioners who want to be trained further for this role. Three more workshops are to be held at Salford, Leeds and Nottingham.

See the full report on page 24 of the March 2016 issue of RAD Magazine.