MammoMomentum: Increasing Breast Cancer Screening Through Coordinated Improvement
The Challenge
A primary care organization identified 2,416 women eligible for breast cancer screening, but only 55% had completed a mammogram. A root-cause analysis revealed several barriers, including fragmented referral workflows, extended scheduling wait times, concerns about pain and discomfort, limited community awareness, and delays in electronic health record reporting.
The Approach
CMAG leadership coordinated a cross-functional quality improvement initiative involving primary care physicians, radiology, information technology, marketing, and population health teams.
A fishbone analysis was used to identify the operational, clinical, technological, and patient-level factors contributing to missed screenings. The improvement strategy included:
Establishing standing screening orders to eliminate unnecessary primary care appointments
Coordinating additional training for radiologists and mammography technicians
Strengthening patient education about screening, pain concerns, and early detection
Partnering with information technology to resolve reporting delays and improve performance monitoring
Expanding community outreach through local leaders, breast cancer survivors, and the “Mammo-Ween” breast cancer awareness event
Monitoring screening performance and workflow barriers throughout implementation
The Results
Within nine months, the organization’s mammography screening rate increased from 55% to 72%, representing a 17-percentage-point improvement and approximately 411 additional women screened.
