Many patients today find getting mammograms to be nerve-wracking and uncomfortable for them. However, it’s important that women receive this testing to ensure they are healthy and that there aren’t any major issues. These screenings can detect breast cancer early on and getting it done annually helps save lives. You can rest easy knowing that your patients will be more comfortable and more relaxed during their appointment with this system in place.
As a radiologist or mammogram specialist, it’s your job to perform the testing and make sure your patients come into your clinic for the screening and that they are put at ease from start to finish. One way to do so is to consider upgrading to Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle and Patient Comfort solution. Learn all about what it is and how it can help improve the overall experience for your patients.
Why Mammogram Screenings are Important
Part of self-care and living a healthy lifestyle involves going to the doctor and getting regular testing and screenings done, including an annual mammogram. The primary reason mammograms are so important in the first place is that they can greatly reduce deaths from breast cancer in women over 40. If your patients fail to get tested then they are putting themselves and their health at risk and may end up having more complications down the road. It can also be more costly to everyone involved to not keep up with these recommended health screenings and to not be proactive about early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
The earlier you can detect breast cancer in a patient, the better it is for everyone. Therefore, getting mammograms is vital as part of the healthcare system and when it comes to women taking good care of themselves. Most significantly, it can lower the risk of a woman dying from breast cancer. Generally speaking, women should have them done every year over 40 years of age. It’s safe to say that mammograms can and do save lives, which should be a good enough reason to ensure they are completed.
Reasons Why Women Avoid Mammograms
While getting mammograms annually is important you should be aware that there are pros and cons to doing so. Of course, detecting breast cancer as early as possible is a good reason to get one done, but they can also cause you a lot of stress and anxiety, and discomfort. Some of the older and outdated machines have been known to create false positive readings for women as well which can cause a lot of psychological distress.
One of the main reasons that women avoid or skip mammogram screenings is that they feel uncomfortable with the entire process. There is pinching and pain involved depending on the machine that is being used or when flat panels are in place. Instead, consider investing in Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle system to ensure your patients come in to get screened and that they experience as little discomfort and anxiety as they can during the appointment. When studied in further detail, the patient feedback with using the new system was that the Smart Curve Paddles produced a lot less pain and that they would highly recommend to others visiting clinics that have this new and updated technology available for screenings.
What is Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle & Patient Comfort?
It is a breast stabilization system that contains a custom Smart Curve Paddle. It gets the job done right by working at certain angles while also ensuring the patient is as comfortable as possible. It contains processing software and distributes pressure evenly so there is less pinching and discomfort experienced by patients overall.
Many women report experiencing pain during mammograms so this is a way to prevent this occurrence and help your patients to feel calm and comfortable at your clinic. Given all of these benefits, the hope is that more women will go in for regular screenings to help prevent and catch breast cancer as soon as possible. Not only is there less discomfort throughout the screening process but the results and image quality are greatly improved with Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle too.
Benefits of Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle Solution
There are several upsides to making the move and transitioning to Hologic’s Smart Curve Paddle solution at your clinic. The Hologic Dimensions 3D feature means that imaging is going to be higher quality and easier for you to read the results so you can make the proper diagnosis. Compression times are sped up as well so that there is less discomfort and the patient can get in and out of your clinic as fast as possible.
Breast compression is the key issue that causes discomfort and Hologic’s system can prevent this from happening. The earlier the detection of breast cancer and other health issues the better and this system may get women to come in for their screenings more regularly. Conventional flat panels and poor-quality imaging just aren’t getting the job done right or well any longer. Patients want comfort and to get the screening completed as quickly as they can. It can also pinpoint more invasive types of breast cancers and greatly reduces the chances of getting false positives.
Features of the Smart Curve Paddle System
There are certain features that you should be aware of and that you may be interested to know about as a mammogram specialist or radiologist. For starters, it is compatible with high-volume screening and demonstrates that it is significantly more comfortable for patients than the flat panel system option. There is no extra training or added workflow for the technician so you can begin using the system as soon as you have it available to you. This means an easy transition to the new system and no downtime or wasted time involved. Also, it is validated in 2D and tomosynthesis imaging modes.
Features of the System that Impact Patient Comfort
There are some special features of the Hologic Smart Curve Paddle system that impacts patient comfort too. For starters, the system contains the MammoPad Breast Cushions which provide additional comfort for your patients throughout the appointment. This feature is going to greatly reduce the pain scores the women report back to your clinic.
As far as the design features of the Hologic Smart Curve Paddle system go, you can expect to see:
- Breast platform with a curved front edge
- Source-to-imaging distance (SID) improvements
- Retractable stationary tomosynthesis face shield
- 3.7 scan time means fast tomosynthesis
- Fast tomosynthesis reconstruction time of 1-2 seconds
- Synthesized 2D algorithms
The truth is that it’s going to make your life and job as a healthcare professional that much easier. You won’t have to hound patients to come in and get screened as much and will be able to read the results faster and feel more confident that they are correct when you report them back. You also will be able to do your job knowing that your patient is comfortable and not in a lot of pain as you conduct the screening. There will be less anxiety experienced in general and your patient will walk away glad they came in and had the mammogram completed in the first place.
Patient Feedback & Overall Experience
Overall, the patient feedback and consensus among the women who have used the Smart Curve Paddle by Hologic is very positive. They reported a better experience at the appointment and less pain and more reliable results. There is simply less discomfort and less pain when using the new and improved mammogram screening system..
What this equates to is that your patients will be less hesitant to make and keep a mammogram appointment and they’ll talk about and share their positive experience with friends and family. This type of positive feedback is good for your clinic, for you, and for the general public so it’s wise to seriously consider investing in one of these systems today.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Technology continues to evolve and change and enhance the way we live and work. The Hologic Smart Curve Paddle and Patient Comfort solution is yet another example of how technology can improve an industry such as healthcare and the patient experience. You now know all the benefits it can offer you, your patients, and your clinic as a whole. There should be no question that it’s a wise investment and one you will not regret making. You’ll not only get more current patients through your doors but will also be able to attract new patients to your clinic from all the referrals you will get. Pain is the main reason why women are skipping out on this screening and with this system, you can help get more women to complete the testing and help save more lives.
Do you still have questions or want to learn more? Then get in touch with us today and we’d be happy to help and ensure you feel comfortable moving forward as well. Otherwise, there is always more research, facts and figures, and information online to digest and consider as you determine if the Hologic Smart Curve Paddle and Patient Comfort system is right for you and your clinic.
