Each year, more than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Regular screening that utilizes mammogram technology can help diagnose the disease early. However, the results of these tests can sometimes be flawed because of a facility’s failure to meet quality standards.
Mammogram quality problems were identified at a Raleigh, North Carolina, medical facility last year. The American College of Radiology—the accrediting body that approves hospitals and offices to perform mammograms—found the facility didn’t meet quality standards and revoked their accreditation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then ordered the facility’s staff to stop performing the procedure.
A similar incident was recently reported in Florida. The FDA issued a warning that as many as 5,000 patients who received mammograms at an Orlando, Florida, medical facility may have received inaccurate results. The report from the Orlando Sentinel goes on to offer several safety measures affected patients should consider taking.
At HensonFuerst, our North Carolina medical malpractice lawyers would like to applaud the efforts being made to keep high standards at facilities performing mammograms, and we are hopeful the actions taken against these facilities creates a greater sense of accountability among medical providers.