May 11, 2015 –Meeting the healthcare needs of the diverse rural and urban border communities is a persistent challenge. This is due in large part to a lack of local resources and geographical proximity to specialized medical expertise. Cochise Regional Hospital (CRH) is treating this challenge as an opportunity and recently introduced telemedicine to provide clinical healthcare at virtually any distance.
By overcoming geographic barriers and lack of local resources, Cochise Regional Hospital rapidly improves access to medical services making these immediately available in rural and city communities. This is especially important in Mammography. Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of death from cancer for women in the United States, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
Cancer patients significantly improve their chances for survival with early detection and aggressive treatment. Routine mammograms can detect early stage cancer long before it is detectable through self-examination. At CRH, women undertake full field digital mammography screening that delivers highly accurate breast imaging results. Radiologists then remotely review the results using the next-generation computer-aided detection software, which assists in the identification of any suspicious lesions and breast cancers.
“There’s a shortage of local radiologists and our mammography screening volumes are typical for a rural community,” says Scott Anderson, Radiology Supervisor at CRH. “We wanted to use the best available technologies and provide women with the same premium level of care that they would receive at larger imaging facilities without forcing patients to travel long distances. We have succeeded, and we’re really making history here.”
The Department of Radiology uses a full-field digital mammography system that provides high quality images and sends them electronically to breast imaging radiologists in a major metropolitan area. Mammograms are then reviewed using Parascript® AccuDetect® Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) system that helps radiologists to discriminate between malignant and nonmalignant lesions and increases detection of cancers.
It is through the ground-breaking use of technology and telemedicine that CRH is able to successfully serve all its diverse communities at an affordable cost.
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