By Tim O'Hara, Manager of MaaS Implementation
According to the CDC, in 2022, just over three-quarters (76.5%) of women aged 50–74 and more than one-half (59.1%) of those aged 40–49 reported having had a mammogram within the previous two years.
On a personal note, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975 (just a few years before I was born), and she had a mastectomy. She recovered and was able to enjoy time with her family, friends, and dogs for another 34 years, living to the ripe old age of 93. Early detection is so important!
MEDITECH’s Expanse Care Compass Registry functionality can compile a worklist of patients 40-74 who are due/overdue for annual mammography screening. This list of patients can be used to blast an Expanse Patient Connect SMS/text message campaign to these targeted patients. The text message informs the patient that they’re due for a screening mammogram and provides a link to the Patient Portal where the patient can self-schedule their mammogram for a day/time that’s convenient for them. Many health systems allow patients to self-refer for a mammogram, so a provider’s order may not be necessary.
Once the patient has scheduled their mammogram, they can receive a text from Expanse Patient Connect reminding them of their upcoming appointment and allowing them to confirm the appointment and pre-register via a link to the Patient Portal. Once their mammogram is performed, the patient will receive their results via the Patient Portal.
MEDITECH as a Service customer Boone Health (Columbia, MO) has its patients self-schedule their screening mammogram via the Patient Portal. Boone began using the self-scheduling feature in the Patient Portal in 2022 as an opportunity to get patients to use the portal. Self-service features like this also take the pressure off scheduling staff, who no longer need to manage as many phone calls from patients.
Contact your Patient Engagement specialists for guidance on standing up your Mammogram campaign.
Note: We can also work with you on other campaigns such as colorectal cancer screening, Medicare annual wellness visits, flu shot clinics, and more.