WE‐D‐330D‐03: DR in Practice ‐ Mammography

Purpose: To explore the impact of DR mammography on the practice of clinical medical physics. Historical and new methods for providing scheduled and unscheduled mammography physics services for facilities using DR mammography will be presented. Method and Materials: Clinical medical physics services provided to DR mammography facilities from various manufacturers will be presented. Quality control activities approved by FDA for each individual manufacturer will be compared. The status of a proposed “Alternative Standard” to allow for a more uniform approach to medical physics mammography services will be reviewed. Case studies will be presented demonstrating methods and cost considerations for providing medical physics services under the “minimum standard” (prescribed by MQSA regulations) and “best practices” model. Results: Medical physics services provided in the “minimum standard” and “best practices” model have implications for the quality and cost of mammography physics services. Conclusion: Medical physics services may be provided in a professional and valuable manner, using combinations of the minimum standard of practice and the “best practices” model. The professional medical physicist should consider multiple parameters when determining the appropriate model under which to deliver services.