News ReleasesHOME / GOVERNMENT / NEWS RELEASES / Monday, January 9, 2006  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Health QEH WORKS CLOSELY WITH CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF RADIOLOGISTS TO RESOLVE MAMMOGRAPHY ISSUE CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- Pat Lee, Executive Director for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) said today that the hospital has been working closely with the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) to develop a plan to restore public confidence concerning the current issue of dust particles on mammography equipment at the hospital. Mr. Lee noted, “Films from mammography equipment at the QEH were forwarded to the CAR on Friday for review by a panel of two radiologists, one medical physicist, and one radiation technologist. We expect results by the middle of this week.” If the films are considered acceptable by the CAR, then the PEI Breast Screening program will become provisionally accredited. Work will continue over the coming year to complete the accreditation process. If provisional accreditation is not possible at this point, then the QEH will take interim measures and stop using the equipment and begin a process of re-booking appointments to either Summerside or off Island until the situation is corrected. Approximately 95 percent of all mammography units across the country are in the process of accreditation. Seventy five percent of the units are accredited in Canada. Mr. Lee noted, “We have a common vision with CAR to work toward having an accredited program here on PEI. It is to the advantage of healthcare providers and the public that we become accredited in this area of service. We want to resolve the issue of dust particles on the mammography films and we are striving to seek validation of our confidence in program quality through the Canadian Association of Radiologists.” Dr. Desmond Colohan, Medical Director noted, “The role of mammography is for breast cancer detection and our statistics show that our detection rates for breast cancer are equal or better than other provinces, and this is despite an ongoing minor problem with dust on the images.” Numerous corrective measures have taken place over the past two years including enhanced cleaning of equipment and room renovations to minimize the creation of dust. Because the dust problem is not completely resolved, the QEH has not reapplied for accreditation in the recent past. Mr. Normand Laberge, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Association of Radiologists noted that, “Radiologists on PEI have provided assurance that national standards are being followed. I recommend that women do not cancel current appointments and continue to book for mammography appointments to ensure early and diagnostic testing for breast screening is carried out.” The mammography equipment at the PCH is four years old and does not have the dust issues similar to the QEH. Expected lifespan for such equipment is approximately ten years. The equipment at QEH is seven years old. New advances in digital imaging for mammography equipment have minimized issues such as dust. Mr. Lee added, “Presently there are no digital mammography machines on PEI, as the current equipment has not been operating to its full lifespan and we felt that we had not exhausted all options to eliminate the dust issue.” The PEI Breast Screening Program is provincial in scope and ultimately the goal is to have the service fully accredited at both the QEH and PCH. Accreditation is a voluntary process in PEI and does not just involve assessment of the mammography equipment. The CAR also assesses the qualification and training of personnel and quality of images being produced. Mr. Laberge added that, “The CAR is aware that the radiologists on PEI are confident in their interpretations of mammograms and would not be willing to report sub optimal images.” Dr. Hender noted that, “The quality of films has improved since the last accreditation process, and we want women to feel confident that quality mammograms are being performed at both PCH and QEH. We want to assure the public that we are taking every possible measure to provide an excellent service.” TECHNICAL BACKGROUNDER PROVINCIAL BREAST SCREENING PROGRAM DUST PARTICLES ON FILM BACKGROUND ON WORK PERFORMED AT THE QEH TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION • Upon notification of failure to meet accreditation status from the Canadian Association of Radiologists in November 2002, the Provincial Breast Screening Program Leaders made a decision to defer from reapplying for accreditation status until the dust/particles on the films could be corrected. The QEH staff have been working continuously to attempt to rectify this problem. • The Mammography Department staff consulted the manufacturer of the processor to evaluate the machine and program. A review was undertaken by Kodak Canada Inc. (Kodak) and a detailed report outlining recommendations was received in February 2003. The QEH Staff, using a systematic process of elimination addressed all recommendations from Kodak. This included: • Improved cleaning practices and routines within and around the equipment and mammography area; • Increased quality assurance testing to ensure they met standards; • Staff received ongoing education on quality assurance practices; • Consistently changed various parts within the processor and mini- loader; • Having the manufacturer come on-site on two occasions plus ongoing consultation over a 2-3 year period; • Changing the types of supplies used. • Additional assessments by both the Biomedical staff and the medical physicist on this issue were performed and again further measures were taken to reduce the dust problem. These included: • Removing any suspicious materials from the dark room areas; • Replacing various parts on machinery; • Sending films to Kodak laboratory for evaluation; • Physical construction in various areas of the mammography department including constructing walls between work spaces and sealing various locations to inhibit circulation of dust. • Although, machines do not meet CAR Mammography Accreditation standards, all modalities with the QEH Diagnostic Imaging Department meet all Provincial and Federal regulations: • Provincial: Radiation Safety Regulations under the Public Health Act; • Federal: Health Canada Safety Code 20A: X-ray Equipment in Medical Diagnosis, Recommended Safety Procedures for Installation and Use.
For additional information, contact Rod Stanley. | ||||||
