Educational Strategies to Achieve Equitable Breast Imaging Care

Transgender and Gender Diverse Medical Education in Radiology: A Systematic Review

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Physicians report a lack of Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) health competency for medical imaging. This knowledge gap contributes to negative medical imaging experiences, discrimination, stigma, and diagnostic errors for TGD individuals. Medical education plays an important role in improving this. However, the current landscape and gaps in TGD medical education in radiology is underexplored. We aimed to fill the knowledge gap on the current state of TGD medical education in radiology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A PRISMA and SWiM guideline-compliant systematic review on TGD medical education in radiology was performed. Four databases were searched: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to May 13, 2024. Article screening and extraction occurred independently and in duplicate. Narrative synthesis was performed on TGD medical education material in radiology, educational recommendations, barriers/enablers to education, and current guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 4360 records were identified with 76 articles included. Most articles (52, 68%) were from the United States. Most articles aimed to provide recommendations for TGD medical education in radiology (53, 69.7%). Some articles focused on developing medical education (7, 9.2%), evaluating medical education (7, 9.2%), evaluating guidelines (8, 10.5%), or developing guidelines (3, 4%). Identified TGD medical education in radiology is inconsistent, focusing on terminology guides, clinical scenarios, and cultural sensitivity workshops. Many current guidelines for TGD medical imaging were developed through extrapolation of guidance for cisgender patients, demonstrating limited relevance and meaningfulness for TGD patients.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review identifies a need to develop consistent TGD medical educational material in radiology in partnership with TGD patients to cover patient perspectives and guidance for medical imaging considerations. Results can be used to identify TGD medical education resources in radiology which may be helpful, and guide development of future medical education.

Disparities in Breast Cancer Diagnostics: How Radiologists Can Level the Inequalities

Access to medical imaging is pivotal in healthcare, playing a crucial role in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of diseases. However, disparities persist in this scenario, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals facing linguistic or cultural barriers. This paper critically assesses methods to mitigate these disparities, with a focus on breast cancer screening. We underscore scientific mobility as a vital tool for radiologists to advocate for healthcare policy changes: it not only enhances diversity and cultural competence within the radiology community but also fosters international cooperation and knowledge exchange among healthcare institutions. Efforts to ensure cultural competency among radiologists are discussed, including ongoing cultural education, sensitivity training, and workforce diversification. These initiatives are key to improving patient communication and reducing healthcare disparities. This paper also highlights the crucial role of policy changes and legislation in promoting equal access to essential screening services like mammography. We explore the challenges and potential of teleradiology in improving access to medical imaging in remote and underserved areas. In the era of artificial intelligence, this paper emphasizes the necessity of validating its models across a spectrum of populations to prevent bias and achieve equitable healthcare outcomes. Finally, the importance of international collaboration is illustrated, showcasing its role in sharing insights and strategies to overcome global access barriers in medical imaging. Overall, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges related to disparities in medical imaging access and proposes actionable strategies to address these challenges, aiming for equitable healthcare delivery.

The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on the Time Between Diagnostic Breast Imaging and Biopsy at a Safety Net Hospital

PURPOSE

Although social determinants of health (SDH) are thought to be associated with health outcomes, there is limited literature on the direct impact of SDH on delays in breast cancer diagnosis via breast imaging. Identifying SDH associated with longer lapses (defined in this study as a time interval between two events) between imaging and biopsy is essential to early-stage detection of breast cancer, which has a significant impact on survival. Previous work demonstrated associations between both housing and food insecurity with longer lapses between diagnostic imaging and biopsy. We aim to expand upon this retrospective analysis with a longer study period, more participants, and improved data cleaning techniques to better understand how SDH may affect the lapse between imaging and biopsy.

METHODS

This retrospective study was institutional review board approved and HIPAA compliant. Informed consent was waived. Patients who underwent screening mammography between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2020, were assessed for timing of recommended biopsy due to a BI-RADS category 4 or 5. SDH were assessed with the unique Tool for Health & Resilience in Vulnerable Environments screening questionnaire developed at Boston Medical Center. Associations between imaging and biopsy timing and eight explanatory SDH variables (food insecurity, housing insecurity, ability to pay for medications, transportation access, ability to pay for utilities, caretaking needs, employment, and desire for more education) were assessed with multivariate Cox proportional hazard modeling, as well as demographic data.

RESULTS

There were 2,885 unique patients who underwent 3,142 unique diagnostic imaging studies and were included in the multivariate analysis. Of those 3,142 imaging studies, 196 (6.2%) had not yet been followed by the recommended biopsy by the end of the study period; 2,271 patients (78.7%) had SDH data in at least one domain; and the individual domains ranged from 962 patients (32.1%) with complete data for education to 2,175 patients (75.4%) with complete data for food insecurity. A positive screen for at least one SDH was associated with a longer lapse between diagnostic imaging and biopsy (P = .048). Furthermore, housing insecurity alone was nearly associated with longer lapses between diagnostic imaging and biopsy (P = .059). Those who desired more education were found to have shorter lapses between diagnostic imaging and biopsy (P = .037).

CONCLUSIONS

Only a positive screen of the aggregate of all SDH (using a novel tool developed at our safety net hospital) was associated with a statistically significant lengthening of this lapse. Of the eight SDH screened, housing insecurity was the closest to association with longer lapses between diagnostic imaging and biopsy, whereas patients who desired more education were found to have statistically significant shorter lapses; however, this survey domain had the lowest completion rate.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Identification of which SDH might affect the time from imaging to biopsy can potentially inform targeted programs to intervene. Government and health system interventions addressing SDH, notably housing insecurity, could allow for shorter time to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Barriers to breast cancer screening are worsened amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A review

Disparities in screening mammography and barriers to accessing breast cancer screening are most prevalent among racial/ethnic minority and low-income women. The significant breast cancer mortality rates experienced in both Hispanic and African American populations are found to be connected to delayed screening. For these women to follow the screening guidelines outlined by the American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging, they must successfully navigate existing barriers to screening. These barriers include differential access to care, language barriers, and lack of medical insurance. The COVID-19 Pandemic has worsened the barriers to breast cancer screening faced by these groups of women. These barriers need to be addressed or they may further exacerbate disparities.