ACR Members Support Patients in Missing Records Ordeal
Several Westchester, NY-area ACR members are doing what they can to assist patients who were left in the dark when a radiologist unexpectedly closed his doors recently, leaving the patients without access to their records and previous mammograms, according to a recent story in The Journal News.
According to the article, the patients have been advised that they should wait for their records before seeing another radiologist for a current mammogram since studies indicate that patients who do not have their previous mammograms for comparative purposes are about 40% more likely to be called back for additional tests, including possibly biopsies and surgery. However, some of the patients have now retrieved their missing records, the article noted.
"When you do a mammogram, you are looking at changes over time," noted ACR member Lewis M. Bobroff, chief of radiology at Good Samaritan Hospital and a member of Ramapo Radiology. "You can never do as good a job looking at a mammogram without comparing it to the old films. The prior records are absolutely essential."
However, while doctors prefer to have the earlier images, patients are not being turned away.
"We're doing our best to meet the needs of the Rockland community," noted ACR member Mark E. Geller, director of radiology at Nyack Hospital and member of Mid Rockland Imaging. "We're trying to do the right thing by the patient."
ACR member Shari Siegel-Goldman is also quoted in the article.
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