How Do I Choose My Mammography Facility? There are different places to get a mammogram: radiology departments of hospitals, main general hospitals and private radiology practices. In Malaysia, you can arrange for your own mammogram or your doctor can arrange one for you, depending on the circumstances and the centre in question. The National Cancer Society offers screening services and they have set ups in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. In countries such as USA, mammography clinics are certified to assure quality and safety. In Malaysia, all mammography facilities must have a practicing licence issued by the Ministry of Health. The mammography facility must adhere to the standards set by the Ministry and have to calibrate, maintain and also have their machines certified on a yearly basis to ensure the equipment are working to specifications. This also ensures radiation during mammography does not exceed specifications as well. Countries like USA have found out that the quality can vary widely from one place to another. In the USA, the process of accreditation has been implemented. The American College of Radiology evaluates equipment, personnel and procedures before approving and giving accreditation to a particular facility. However, the process of accreditation is voluntary and it does not mean a facility is producing low quality reports and mammograms just because they are not accredited. Accreditation involves ensuring facilities have doctors and other staff who have been specially trained to perform and interpret mammograms. The equipment must also be capable of producing high quality mammograms that have the lowest possible amount of radiation exposure. In addition, they must perform mammography regularly and frequently. Currently in Malaysia, Quality Assurance (QA) standards have been set up and will be enforced in stages on all radiology departments for all their equipment. Specifically for mammography, QA guidelines are now available as well. As the quality of healthcare in Malaysia moves forward and improves, it will be a matter of time before accreditation of such nature is instituted in this country. Therefore, it is not too early to present the American College of Radiology guidelines to selecting a mammography facility. 1. Does the facility use machines specifically designed for mammography?
Dedicated machines are necessary for good quality mammograms with the minimum of radiation 2. Is the person who takes the mammograms a registered technologist?
The technologist should be trained to position the breast correctly to get a good image. In Malaysia, female radiographers with training in mammographic positioning are qualified to perform mammograms 3. Is the radiologist who reads the mammograms specifically trained to do so?
Mammograms should be read by a radiologist who has taken special courses in mammography. Subspecialisation accreditation is not formally set up in Malaysia as yet but will become a reality in the future. 4. Are mammograms a regular part of the facility’s practice?
Studies have shown that facilities performing large numbers of mammograms are likely to comply with many quality standards. According to the American College of Radiology, there should be a minimum of 10 mammograms a week conducted in the facility. 5. Is the mammography machine calibrated at least once a year? The machine should be checked and adjusted as necessary to be sure the measurements and doses are correct. This is not an issue in Malaysia, as long as the centre you go to have their license, their equipment should not be in question. | 
